Strengthen tobacco control act: Atiur Rahman  

Eminent economist and former governor of Bangladesh Bank, Professor Atiur Rahman, said existing tobacco control laws should be strengthened to make the country tobacco-free by 2040 as envisioned by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

A draft document prepared and publicised by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to amend the tobacco control act reflects all proposals from anti-tobacco stakeholders and thus this draft must be finalised, he said at a national dialogue session organised by Unnayan Shamannay on Thursday.

Non-government think tank Unnayan Shamannay organised the programme at BishwoShahitto Kendro in the capital with Parliamentary Standing Committee on Ministry of Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs Chair Md Shahiduzzaman as chief guest.

Atiur Rahman, also the Executive Chairperson of Unnayan Shamannay, pointed out that over 20,000 individuals and organisations have formally asserted their support for the proposed draft amendment to the tobacco control act which includes 155 parliamentarians, 20 medical practitioner organizations (including BMA and Sandhani), 100 eminent doctors, 100 national and international NGOs, eminent journalists and journalist associations, religious leaders, small business organisations, restaurant owners' association, bidi workers, VCs and Pro-VCs, and teachers and students from educational institutions at different levels.

Former president of BFUJ, Manjurul Ahsan Bulbul, said in his remarks that while the proposed draft amendment is being widely accepted by people, vested interest groups are likely to try to create hurdles in the way of finalising the amendment. As such, all stakeholders must remain vigilant so that the proposed amendments materialise.

Md Sahiduzzaman reiterated the commitment of the current government to build a tobacco-free country and committed that parliamentarians will work together to ensure that the proposed amendments are finalised within the shortest possible time.

Mostofa Jalal Mohiuddin, President, Bangladesh Medical Association, Rokeya Kabir, Executive Director, BNPS, Mahbuba Nasrin, Pro-Vice Chancellor, Bangladesh Open University, SM Zulfiqar Ali, Senior Research Fellow, BIDS, and Md Mostafizur Rahman, Lead Policy Advisor, CTFK, were present as panel discussants at the event.