Youth urge swift passage of Tobacco Control Act amendments

DORP Youth Forum organised a human chain protest in front of National Board of Revenue building in Dhaka on Monday, urging government to enact the new law without delay and free from the influence of tobacco companies.

The advocates emphasised that the amendments are critical to achieving a tobacco-free Bangladesh and protecting future generations. They highlighted alarming statistics that 1,61,000 people die annually in Bangladesh from tobacco-related diseases—an average of 442 deaths per day.

The protestors also voiced serious concern over the rising rate of tobacco use among young people, describing it as a grave threat to the nation’s future.

A key point of contention for the youth forum was a recent meeting between the Advisory Committee and tobacco companies, which they condemned as a direct violation of Article 5.3 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).

The advocates stressed that as a signatory, Bangladesh is obligated to keep its tobacco control policies free from industry influence.

The protest focused on six key proposals within the draft amendments, like a complete ban on designated smoking areas in all public places and public transport, prohibition of tobacco product displays at points of sale to curb indirect promotion, a ban on corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities by tobacco companies, which are often a form of disguised advertising. measures to protect youth from the harms of e-cigarettes, a ban on the retail and loose sale of tobacco products and expansion of pictorial health warnings on tobacco packaging from 50% to 90%.

The event saw participation from more than a hundred anti-tobacco youth advocates from prominent educational institutions, including Dhaka University, Jahangirnagar University and Jagannath University.

Following the protest, the DORP Youth Forum submitted a memorandum detailing their demands to the Chairman of the National Board of Revenue.