Staff reporter

The government has finalized key amendments to the Tobacco Control (TC) Law align with Who Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) . These amendments aim to ban public smoking, prohibit e-cigarettes, limit tobacco companies’ social responsibility activities, and stop retail tobacco sales. To ensure the swift passage of these reforms, Nari Maitree convened an influential advocacy meeting with Farida Akhter, Fisheries and Livestock Adviser, at the Secretariat. The meeting brought together prominent leaders from Nari Maitree to emphasize the significance of these amendments in safeguarding public health. Attendees included Nari Maitree’s Executive Director, Shaheen Akter Dolly, Project Coordinator Nasrin Akter, Advocacy Officer Mehedi Hasan, and Shivani Bhattacharjya, Convener of the Mothers' Forum Against Tobacco and Rita Bhowmick, and forum member of the Mothers' Forum Against Tobacco.The meeting was held at the Secretariat on Tuesday.

Farida Akhter expressed her strong stance against tobacco and emphasized her wholehearted commitment to the swift passage of the proposed Tobacco Control Law amendments. She highlighted the alarming statistic that 442 people die daily in Bangladesh from tobacco-related diseases and stressed the urgency of taking sincere and effective measures to reduce this death toll.

In addition to supporting the six proposed amendments, she also shed light on the harmful effects of smokeless tobacco products, such as zarda, gul, sada pata and khoinee, which are widely used in Bangladesh. Farida Akhter underscored that these products contain high levels of toxic chemicals and carcinogens, posing severe health risks including cancer, heart disease, and oral diseases. She stressed the need for comprehensive action to combat all forms of tobacco use to protect public health and save lives.

During the discussion, Farida Akhter also expressed her gratitude to Nari Maitree for its tireless efforts in combating tobacco use. She made a strong commitment to advocate for the amendment of the Tobacco Control Law and reaffirmed her dedication to strengthening the legislation. Additionally, she expressed her willingness to actively participate in Nari Maitree’s future programs