A discussion meeting on strengthening the Tobacco Control Law was held on Wednesday (February 12, 2025) at 3:00 PM at the Abu Sayeed International Convention Hall between the Health Sector Reform Commission and Development Organization of the Rural Poor (DORP). The meeting focused on the need for issuing a notification to pass the amendments to the Tobacco Control Law quickly.
The meeting was attended by Health Sector Reform Commission members Dr. Abu Muhammad Zakir Hossain, S.M. Reza, and Professor Dr. Syed Mo Akram Hossain.
DORP’s Deputy Executive Director, Mohammad Zobair Hasan, presented the keynote paper. In his presentation, he highlighted six key amendments in line with the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) and the draft amendments prepared by the Ministry of Health. These amendments include: Abolition of designated smoking areas in all public spaces and public transport, ban on tobacco companies’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities, ban on display of tobacco products at sales points, ban on import, production, consumption, and marketing of e-cigarettes or emerging heated tobacco products and increasing the size of pictorial health warnings on bidi and cigarette packs from 50% to 90%.
Md. Abdus Salam Mia (representative from an international organization) mentioned that the Health Ministry had sent the proposed amendments to the Cabinet Division for approval as an ordinance. On December 9, 2024, an Advisory Council Committee was formed to review the draft of the Smoking and Tobacco Products Usage (Control) (Amendment) Ordinance, 2024. Based on the committee’s recommendations, the Health Services Division will revise the draft and present it again in an advisory council meeting.
DORP’s Tobacco Control Project Program Coordinator, Rubina Islam, highlighted that the Ministry of Commerce issued a gazette notification on January 1, 2025, banning the import of all e-cigarette and electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS) products. She thanked the government for this important step in tobacco control. However, she stressed that to protect the younger generation, the government must also ban the production, use, and marketing of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products.
Speakers at the meeting pointed out that a specific generation, especially the youth, is falling victim to tobacco addiction. Strengthening the Tobacco Control Law is essential to protect their health. They urged the Advisory Council Committee to issue a notification for the quick approval of the amendments.
At the end of the meeting, DORP submitted a memorandum to the Health Sector Reform Commission, expressing their expectations for a tobacco-free Bangladesh. They also called for submitting the amendment proposals and related documents to the commission. In response, the Health Sector Reform Commission assured them of taking positive steps to present the issue to the Advisory Council Committee.
It is noteworthy that DORP has been engaged in various development programs since 1987 and is widely known for introducing the Maternity Allowance program. In continuation of this work, DORP is currently working to strengthen the Tobacco Control Law, increase tobacco taxes and prices, and implement various projects to help achieve the government’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
