Are snus and nicotine pouches legal in Bangladesh?
Tobacco snus is legal in Bangladesh as smokeless tobacco under the Smoking and Tobacco Products Usage (Control) Act 2005 (amended 2013 and 10 April 2026): no sale to under-18s, pictorial warnings required, but Swedish-style snus is not sold locally. The status of tobacco-free nicotine pouches is contested: GSTHR records them as prohibited for sale and trade import, yet in October 2025 Philip Morris was approved to build a nicotine-pouch factory in Narayanganj, with authorities reportedly treating pouches as outside the e-cigarette ban in force since 1 January 2025. No customs allowance for oral products could be verified.
Southern Asia
Bangladesh at a glance
| Nicotine pouches (tobacco-free) | Tobacco snus | |
|---|---|---|
| Sale to adults | No specific rule found | Legal |
| Possession and use | Unclear | Legal |
| Personal import (mail order, bringing in) | Unclear | Unclear |
| Online sale inside the country | Unclear | Allowed |
| Regulated | classification unclear | as a tobacco product |
| Minimum age | No specific limit found | 18 |
| Nicotine strength cap | No legal cap found | No legal cap found |
| Flavours | Unclear | No flavour restrictions |
| Excise tax | Unclear | Yes |
| Legal basis | – | Smoking and Tobacco Products Usage (Control) Act, 2005, as amended 2013 and by Act No. 91 of 2026 |
| In force since | – | 2 May 2013 |
Low confidence: Single source or inferred from general tobacco law. Treat as indicative. Research tier 2. How we verify.
Nicotine pouches in Bangladesh
Unclear: sources conflict, factory approved 2025.
Sources conflict. GSTHR states nicotine pouches are prohibited by law including sales and import for trade, with personal import unclear. Nicotine Policy (31 October 2025) reports that PMI obtained permission for a USD 5.8 million nicotine-pouch plant in Narayanganj (536 million units per year) and that authorities view pouches as falling outside the e-cigarette ban. The 2026 Amendment Act (in force 10 April 2026) tightens warnings, advertising and smoke-free rules; no pouch-specific clause was identified in the summary. Treat status as unresolved.
Sources: Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction (GSTHR), Nicotine Policy
Tobacco snus in Bangladesh
Legal as smokeless tobacco, 18+.
The 2013 amendment brought smokeless tobacco within the Act; two pictorial warnings apply to smokeless products. Sale to under-18s is prohibited. TCL (2021 summary) records no restriction on internet sales; the 2026 amendment bans advertising including online. GSTHR describes snus as permitted for sale, online purchase and use. Domestic smokeless use is dominated by jarda, gul and sada pata; Swedish snus is not commercially distributed.
Tax: Smokeless tobacco (jarda, gul) is subject to supplementary duty; rate not verified for this record.
Sources: Tobacco Control Laws, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction (GSTHR), Tobacco Control Laws, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
Bringing snus or nicotine pouches into Bangladesh
| For personal use | Unclear Bangladesh Customs' baggage rules could not be retrieved. Smokeless tobacco is legal, so a small personal supply of snus is unlikely to be seized; nicotine pouches are of uncertain status. E-cigarettes are prohibited imports since 1 January 2025. |
| Declaration | Unclear |
| Penalties | No specific penalty information found. |
Full travel guide: can you bring snus and nicotine pouches to Bangladesh?
Pending and proposed changes
- PMI's approved nicotine-pouch factory in Narayanganj awaited environmental clearance as of late 2025; anti-tobacco groups have lobbied for pouches to be brought under or banned by the tobacco control law. Status: rumoured.
Frequently asked questions
Is snus legal in Bangladesh?
Yes. Snus is a smokeless tobacco product regulated by the Smoking and Tobacco Products Usage (Control) Act since the 2013 amendment: it may not be sold to under-18s and must carry pictorial warnings. It is not sold in Bangladeshi shops.
Are nicotine pouches legal in Bangladesh?
Unclear. GSTHR lists them as prohibited for sale and trade import, but in October 2025 Philip Morris was approved to build a nicotine-pouch factory, with authorities reportedly treating pouches as outside the e-cigarette ban.
Can I bring snus or nicotine pouches into Bangladesh?
No customs allowance specific to oral products could be verified. Smokeless tobacco is legal, so a personal supply of snus should not be a problem; pouches are uncertain. Vapes are banned imports since January 2025.
What is the tobacco age limit in Bangladesh?
18. Sale of tobacco products, including smokeless tobacco, to persons under 18 is prohibited.
Nearby in the atlas
- Afghanistan – pouches unregulated (sold openly), snus legal
- Armenia – pouches legal, snus no specific rule found
- Azerbaijan – pouches unregulated (sold openly), snus no specific rule found
- Bahrain – pouches banned, snus banned
- Bhutan – pouches no specific rule found, snus legal with restrictions
- Brunei – pouches no specific rule found, snus banned
- Cambodia – pouches no specific rule found, snus legal
- China – pouches legal with restrictions, snus legal with restrictions
- Georgia – pouches legal, snus legal
- Hong Kong – pouches no specific rule found, snus banned
Where are nicotine pouches legal?Where is snus legal?Strength limits by countryAge limits by country
Sources
- Bangladesh: tobacco control law summary – Tobacco Control Laws, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (NGO / research, 7 May 2021; accessed 4 September 2026) ✓ verified
“There are no restrictions on the sale of single cigarette sticks, small packets of cigarettes, or tobacco products via the internet. The sale of tobacco products is prohibited to persons under the age of 18.”
- Bangladesh country profile – Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction (GSTHR) (NGO / research; accessed 4 September 2026) ✓ verified
“Nicotine pouches are prohibited by law in Bangladesh, including their sales and import for trade.”
- PMI gets approval to produce nicotine pouches in Bangladesh – Nicotine Policy (News, 31 October 2025; accessed 4 September 2026) ✓ verified
“Philip Morris got permission to set up a nicotine pouch factory in Bangladesh's Narayanganj with a $5.8 million investment.”
- Bangladesh: laws (2005 Act, 2013 Amendment, S.R.O. 426 of 2024 e-cigarette import ban, Amendment Act No. 91 of 2026) – Tobacco Control Laws, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (NGO / research, 10 April 2026; accessed 4 September 2026) ✓ verified
“The December 31, 2024 amendments to the Imports and Exports (Control) Act, 1950, prohibit the import of e-cigarettes.”
Record last verified 4 September 2026. Found an error or a newer rule? Tell us and we will re-check the source.