DHAKA: Over 1, 61,000 people die in Bangladesh every year after suffering from various tobacco-related diseases, Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Maleque said in the Jatiya Sangsad on Thursday (January 23).

He cited the number as per the Tobacco Atlas-2018.

Bangladesh has to spend around Taka 30,570 crore every year due to the deadly diseases and early deaths of people caused by tobacco, he also said.

Zahid Maleque came up with this statistics while replying a starred question placed by ruling party lawmaker Begum Shamsun Nahar (Women Seat-13) in the Jatiya Sangsad.

The minister was citing the findings of a study titled ‘The Economic Cost of Tobacco Users in Bangladesh: A Health Cost Approach.’

Maleque said currently around 15 lakh adults are suffering from tobacco-related diseases, while more than 61,000 children are getting victimized of passive smoking, falling sick of deadly diseases.

BDST: 2019 HRS, JAN 23, 2020

AH/SMS