Retired government employees have called for the swift passage of amendments to the Tobacco Control Act, urging its approval through a notification issued by the Advisory Committee.

The demand was made during a discussion meeting on strengthening the Tobacco Control Act, held at the Retirement Home in the capital on Wednesday at 11:00 am.

Members of the Bangladesh Retired Government Employees Welfare Association participated in the meeting.

The event was organized by the Development Organisation of the Rural Poor (DORP) to support the goal of a tobacco-free Bangladesh for public health protection.

The keynote presentation was delivered by Rubina Islam, Programme Coordinator of the Tobacco Control Project at DORP. In her presentation, she 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%.

The event’s chief guest, Dr Neyamat Ullah Bhuiyan, Member (Senior Secretary), Agriculture, Water Resources, and Rural Institutions Division, Bangladesh Planning Commission, said that second-hand smoke is as harmful as direct smoking.

He emphasized that due to designated smoking areas in public places like restaurants, offices, and airports, women and children are particularly vulnerable to second-hand smoke exposure. Therefore, he strongly recommended the removal of smoking zones in public places and transport for public health protection.

Munshi Alauddin Al Azad (Retired Joint Secretary), Member of the BDR Investigation Commission, cited the opinion of Interim Government Finance Advisor Dr Salehuddin Ahmed, who stressed that health is a crucial issue. “Without good health, it is impossible to contribute to society, and health remains one of Bangladesh’s most pressing concerns. To protect the health of pregnant women and children, it is essential to eliminate smoking zones in public places and transport.”

He further urged the Advisory Committee to issue a notification for the swift passage of the amendments to the Tobacco Control Act.

Speakers at the event expressed concerns over the influence of tobacco companies on policymakers, calling it a major challenge at the state level. They stressed the need to not only strengthen the tobacco control law but also strictly regulate the influence of tobacco companies.

The session was chaired by Md Haider Ali Khan, Director (Finance and Administration) at DORP. He mentioned that in September 2023, the final draft of the amendments was presented to the Cabinet but was unexpectedly sent back without approval. Recently, under the initiative of the Ministry of Health, the revised amendment proposal has been submitted to the government through the Cabinet Division for approval as an ordinance. On 9 December 2024, the Advisory Committee was formed to review and refine the draft of the "Smoking and Tobacco Products (Control) (Amendment) Ordinance, 2024". The Ministry of Health Services Division will present the revised draft again in the Advisory Committee meeting for further review and recommendations.

He further mentioned that on 1 January 2025, the Ministry of Commerce issued a gazette banning the import of e-cigarettes and electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS). DORP acknowledged this decision as a significant step in tobacco control. However, he urged that the government must also take immediate action to prohibit the production, use, and marketing of e-cigarettes and emerging heated tobacco products to protect the younger generation.

Other notable attendees at the event included S. M. Shamsher Zakaria (Retired Joint Secretary, Ministry of Public Administration), Prof Shamshad Begum (Retired), Md Touhidur Rahman (Retired Deputy Secretary), and Md Mizanul Haque Chowdhury (Administrator, Bangladesh Retired Government Employees Welfare Association), among others.

DORP has been engaged in various development programmes since 1987 and is widely recognized as the pioneer of the Maternity Allowance Programme. Continuing its efforts, DORP is currently working on strengthening the Tobacco Control Act and advocating for increased taxation and pricing of tobacco products. The organization is actively implementing different projects to support the government's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).