By Timothy S. Donahue
Top Takeaways:
- Court order issued: Bangladesh’s High Court has directed authorities to shut down illegal shisha and hookah lounges nationwide within 30 days.
- Legal challenge filed: The order follows a public interest petition alleging that many lounges operate unlawfully under the guise of cafés.
- Regulatory scrutiny: The court cited potential violations of Bangladesh’s tobacco control law and narcotics legislation.
Bangladesh’s High Court has ordered authorities to shut down illegal shisha and hookah lounges nationwide within 30 days, increasing scrutiny of venues that regulators claim may be violating the country’s tobacco and narcotics laws.
The order was issued on March 3 by a bench consisting of Justice Razik-Al-Jalil and Justice Md. Anowarul Islam. It also directed several government agencies to explain why their failure to take action against such venues should not be declared unlawful.
The court instructed the secretaries of the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, along with the heads of the Department of Narcotics Control, Rapid Action Battalion, Dhaka Metropolitan Police, and the Dhaka North and South City Corporations, to respond to the directive.
The ruling followed a public interest writ petition filed by Supreme Court lawyer SM Zulfiqure Ali Junu, who argued that many shisha lounges operate without legal authorization while claiming to be cafes or restaurants.
According to the petition, the establishments present a public health concern and may be violating provisions of the Smoking and Tobacco Products Use (Control) Act, 2005, which was amended in 2013 to strengthen tobacco restrictions, according to media reports.
The petition also highlighted possible violations of the Narcotics Control Act, 2018, stating that some venues permit shisha use without adequate oversight and that authorities have not enforced current regulations.
Junu told the court that enforcement agencies had not taken decisive action despite reports that minors have been able to access shisha products at some lounges.
Bangladesh already bans smoking in many public places under its tobacco control law, and authorities have periodically carried out enforcement operations against hookah cafés in Dhaka and other major cities.
The High Court’s order now requires government agencies to provide explanations as the judiciary examines whether failures in regulatory enforcement have permitted illegal establishments to operate.
