PROGGA & ATMA meet parliament whip on amendment of tobacco control law

A team of delegates from PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress), a research and advocacy organization, and Anti Tobacco Media Alliance (ATMA) met Whip of the national parliament Iqbalur Rahim underscoring the urgency of amending the tobacco control law. 

The team shared the loopholes of existing tobacco control law and discussed the necessity of amending the law with the Whip on Sunday at the whip's office in the National Parliament, according to a press release.

The whip's utmost cooperation was sought at the meeting for the sake of fulfilling the Prime Minister's declaration of achieving tobacco free Bangladesh within 2040 through the initiatives of amending the current tobacco control law, the press release added.

During the meeting, PROGGA and ATMA highlighted some proposals for amendment in tobacco control law which included removing the exemptions in the smoking ban for restaurants and public transport, banning the display of tobacco products at points of sale, banning tobacco company 'corporate social responsibility' activities, banning the sale of single sticks and unpackaged smokeless tobacco, banning the sale and import of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, allowing for stricter rules on packaging including increases to the size of health warnings.