High taxation on tobacco products was suggested Saturday in city to prevent much of the 57,000 deaths caused by smoking and other tobacco related diseases including cancer each year in the country, reports BSS.

"Tobacco claims 57,000 lives every year and leads 382,000 people to become disabled in Bangladesh," Helal Ahmed, an anti-smoking campaigner, said at a demonstration.

WBB Trust and Unnayan Samunnay along with other partner organisations organised the programme in front of the National Museum to raise mass awareness against tobacco consumption as well as to draw policymakers' attention to raise taxes on cigarettes, bidis and chewing tobaccos.