Speakers at a press conference have demanded imposing higher tax on cigarettes in the proposed budget. They also demanded considering the cigarette a luxurious item for its consumers.
Campaign for Clean Air, a non-government organisation, arranged the press conference at the National Press Club in the city on Thursday.
Dramatist Aronya Anwar chaired the conference while joint convener of the organisation Nazrul Islam Khokon read out the keynote paper. Rajib Salehin and Tasdirul Haq Khan, among others, were present on the occasion.
The speakers argued that the tax imposed on cigarettes in the proposed budget is not adequate and demanded the government to increase the allocation in the environment sector. They observed that imposing 17.72 per cent tax on cigarettes would not discourage the smokers from smoking cigarettes.
