Anti-tobacco law okayed
Staff Correspondent
The Daily Star, Tue. May 11, 2004

The cabinet yesterday approved the draft of Tobacco Control Law 2004, seeking to ban smoking in open places and in public transport.

The cabinet meeting, held at the Prime Minister's Office with premier Khaleda Zia in the chair, also endorsed ratification of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).
Bangladesh was the first country to sign the FCTC in Geneva last year.

The tobacco control law proposes restriction on the sale, distribution and consumption and ban on advertisement of tobacco products in public places and in print and electronic media.

The draft law, placed in the meeting by the health and family welfare ministry after several reviews in the last two years, proposes Tk 1,000 in fines or up to one-year-imprison-ment of violators.
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Media involvement in the FCTC

             A press conference was held on 28 October 2003 at 12.00 p.m. in WBB office on why the tobacco control law is necessary, as part of our Channeling the Outrage project, ‘Media involvement in the FCTC’. 15 journalists, Debra Efroymson, Path Canada Regional Director, Sohrab Uddin, Programme Coordinator, Syed Mahbubul Alam, P.O of WBB and 3 staff of WBB were present.
 

 

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Visit from WHO officials

On 28 September, Dr. Vera Luiza da Costa e Silva, Project Manager for TFI, and Dr. Khaliur Rahman of SEARO visited WBB.  We were the only NGO visited during Dr. Vera’s two-day stay.  During her visit, we arranged the following:

Ø      Showing of the video about our previous CIDA-funded tobacco control project

Ø      A Powerpoint presentation on our Channeling the Outrage project on media and the FCTC

Ø      A Powerpoint presentation on MANOBIK’s Channeling the Outrage project on doctors and the FCTC (presented by Mr. Milon)

Ø      Showing of a video on BATA, which was painstakingly created over many many hours of hard work by Tahin and Chandan

Ø      Brief discussion of tobacco control activities in Bangladesh

The above occurred during a meeting attended by most of the WBB staff and some other BATA members (WACC, Consumers’ Association of Bangladesh, MANOBIK, IACIB).  In addition, Saifuddin Ahmed had ample opportunity for extended conversations with Dr. Rahman about WHO’s support to WBB’s efforts (and vice versa!), and Debra spoke at length with Dr. Vera.  We also arranged a late-night newspaper interview with Dr. Vera, which was published as a lengthy article in a major English daily.
 

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Media involvement in the FCTC

A discussion meeting titled “Pictorial Warning on Tobacco Packets” was held on 9 September 2003 at 12.00 p.m. at the offices of Work for a Better Bangladesh (WBB). The meeting informed journalists of the reasons for putting strong, pictorial warnings on all tobacco products. Saifuddin Ahmed, President of WBB, presided the meeting. Syed Mahabubul Alam, project officer of WBB, presented the main papers. Kazi Faruq, General Secretary of Consumers Association of Bangladesh, and Sohorab Uddin, project coordinator of WBB, also attend the discussion meeting. Amit Ranjan Dey, project officer of WBB, was the moderator. Eighteen journalists were present at the meeting. About thirteen newspapers covered the news.

 

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Press Conference

A press conference held on 2 July 2003 at 3.45 p.m. in Dhaka Reporters Unit. Work for a Better Bangladesh’s (WBB) publication titled “Polythene bag Nishidho Ghosonar Ek Bachar” (The year following declaration of the polythene bag ban: Success, obstacles and our responsibility). 

Abu Naser Khan, General Secretary of Bangladesh Poribesh Andon (BAPA:  Bangladesh Environment Movement), Prof. Khandaker Bajlul Haq, convener of Polythene Bag Samannay Committee, and Mohidul Haq Khan, Joint Secretary of BAPA were present at the meeting. Amit Ranjan Dey, project officer of WBB presented the man paper. Prof. Khandaker Bajlul Haq presided.

Thirty journalists were present, and 21 newspapers covered this news with picture. One TV channel (ATN Bangla) telecast the press conference in their news bulletin.

 

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Roundtable Meeting

On 26 July 2003 at 11 a.m. a Roundtable Meeting “Tobacco Control Law-Observed in Bangladesh” was held in CIRDAP auditorium. The meeting was organized by the Bangladesh Anti-Tobacco Alliance and sponsored by Dhaka Ahsania Mission and Work for a Better Bangladesh. This roundtable was presided by  Dr M. Enamul Haq, Ex  IGP and Chairman, Drug Prevention and Control Programme (AMIK).120 participants were present  there. Ex Justice Habibur Rahman Khan, Ex Advisor of Caretaker Govt. A S M Shajahan, Proctor of Dhaka University Mr.Aka Firoj also attended  the Roundtable Meeting. One World Health Organization’s member, 50 journalists, 10 members of government, and 50 other organization’s members also attended the meeting.
 

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