Divisional Workshop on Strengthening Tobacco Control Law Regarding Packaging held

To ensure the Tobacco company to use the pictorial warning on Tobacco products, special notice will serve the national parliament and amend the present Tobacco Control Laws in articles 10. It also emphasis to come forward the citizen rights organizations i.e CAB to mobilize the community people to anti smoking campaign. If the anti smoking campaign is start from family and educational level the young generation aware about the danger of tobacco use and tobacco production must be reduce. Citizen rights organizations have to motivate the common people to increase food production instead of tobacco. It also suggested to initiate combined efforts to advice community people to plant more trees and aware about the climate change issues. These were stayed the honorable Parliament Member Chittagong-08 and industrialist Alhaj Nurul Islam Bsc MP on last 27 April at Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry(CCCI) Auditorium as chief guest to the Divisional workshop on Strengthening Tobacco Control Law Regarding Packaging organized by Consumer Association of Bangladesh(CAB) Chittagong Divisional and City Unit.             

 

Mr. S M Nazer Hossain, President CAB Chittagong Divisional Unit was presided over the workshop while Mr. Kazi Iqbal Bahar Sabery Secretary CAB Chittagong Divisional Unit moderated the workshop. Mr. Afsar Khan President CAB Chittagong City Unit welcome the participants, Mr. Shubankor Batracharia was presented key note paper, Dr. Didarul Alam, Deputy Director DG Health, Rezaul Karim Sarkar, Deputy Director BSTI, Ex President of Chittagong Union of Journalist and City Editor of Daily Suprabhat Bangladesh M Nasirul Hoque, Ex Director Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry Mahfujul Hoque Shah, Mr. Obik Osman Secretary Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry was special guest. Amongst other Word Council of Chittagong City Corporation Sabiha Musa, Director Jatio Mahila Sangstha Sayda Rifat Akhter, Ex President of Bangladesh Teachers Association Abdul Wahab Chy, Ex Deputy Director of Ministry of Information Nazurl Islam, Chittagong District Bar Association Leader Adv. Mahbubul Islam, Adv Alamgir, CAB leaders Jane Alam, Mr. Ajoy Mitra Shanku Secretary Dist GCA, Nazrul Islam from PARC, Salim Meah of Agrabad GCA Committee, Journalist Ismat Marjida Khan, Yeasin Manju from Maisa, CAB leader Debashis Rakit, Haji Iqbal ali Akabar were took part the discussion.

     

The speakers also says the present national parliament formed with the representative from business group, as a result parliament act as safe guard for business group and the interest of common people are ignored and missing. So it is very essential CAB and others citizen rights organization who act as safe guard for the interest of common people have to raise voice to force the government to work for the common people’s interest. It suggested to use pictorial based warning on tobacco products to reduce the tobacco use, include tobacco tropics at curriculum, stop the bank loan and other facilities to tobacco products, increase tax at tobacco industry, organize family and educational institution based campaign to reduce tobacco use, established permanent poster at tea stall etc recommendations were made by the participants to reduce tobacco use. In the key note paper it was stated 43.2% people attacked tobacco related disease in Bangladesh which is higher than AIDS/HIV and malaria. So it has needs to more focused on tobacco control. The participants also raise concern to increase tobacco production in paddy land and demanding government steps to control tobacco production. Around 50 participants from Government officials, businessmen, NGO leaders, lawyers, journalists and CAB leaders were participate the workshop.

 

Mr. Subrata Kr Bala

DPO, CAB Chittagong