Nearly 10,000 anti-tobacco youth representatives have submitted a powerful petition to Bangladesh's Finance Adviser, demanding immediate passage of proposed Tobacco Control Law amendments and cancellation of planned government meetings with tobacco companies.
The petition, delivered Sunday to five key advisers including the Chief Adviser and Health Adviser, represents a unified call from students across Dhaka's universities and colleges for a tobacco-free Bangladesh.
Four prominent organisations, Nari Maitree, DORP, Dhaka Ahsania Mission and National Heart Foundation, formally presented the petition, which challenges the government's recent decision to engage with tobacco companies in violation of WHO FCTC Article 5.3 international treaty commitments.
The proposed amendments to the 2005 Tobacco Control Act aim to align Bangladesh with WHO Framework Convention standards through comprehensive reforms: complete elimination of smoking zones in public spaces, total prohibition of tobacco displays and advertisements, enhanced protection against e-cigarettes, banning single-stick cigarette sales, outlawing tobacco company CSR activities, and expanding pictorial health warnings to cover 90% of packaging.
Youth representative Niemur Rahman Emon highlighted alarming statistics; "According to WHO Tobacco Atlas, nearly 161,000 people die annually in Bangladesh from tobacco-related diseases, 442 deaths daily."
GATS 2017 data reveals 38.4 million non-smokers face secondhand smoke exposure in public spaces.
Mohammad Zobair Hasan from DORP emphasised constitutional obligations; "Article 18(1) requires the state to safeguard citizens' health, yet amendment passage appears to have become a bargaining process with tobacco companies."
Shahin Akhter Dolly of Nari Maitree stressed treaty violations; "Bangladesh first signed WHO FCTC in 2004, yet government meetings with tobacco companies breach Article 5.3 guidelines requiring policy-making free from industry interference."
NRE/SH
