DORP demands swift passage of tobacco control amendment

Development Organisation of the Rural Poor (DORP) held a seminar, demanding swift passage of the proposed amendment to the Tobacco Control Law at CIRDAP Auditorium in Dhaka on Tuesday.

The event, titled “The Urgent Need to Pass Proposed Amendment to the Tobacco Control Law for Public Health Protection”, brought together key stakeholders to advocate for the immediate passage of a crucial amendment.

The seminar began with a welcome address by A.H.M. Noman, Founder and Chief Executive of DORP, followed by a keynote presentation from Mohammad Zobair Hasan, the organisation’s Deputy Executive Director.

The Chief Guest, Nurjahan Begum, Adviser to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, stressed the urgency of passing the proposed amendment to achieve a tobacco-free Bangladesh. She firmly said that there is no room for considering the opinions of tobacco companies during this process.

Md. Akhtaruzzaman, Director General of the National Tobacco Control Cell, speaking as a Special Guest, highlighted the devastating impact of tobacco in Bangladesh, noting that tobacco-related diseases claim 161,000 lives annually, averaging 442 deaths per day.

He refuted the tobacco industry’s false claims of potential government revenue loss, explaining that government revenue from tobacco has increased more than twelvefold in the 18 years since the 2005 Tobacco Control Law was enacted and its 2013 amendment, despite an 18% drop in tobacco use between 2009 and 2017.