Members of Parliament (MPs) on Monday urged Health Minister Zahid Maleque to amend the existing Tobacco Control Act in the country.
The Parliamentary Forum, Bangladesh Parliamentary Forum for Health and Wellbeing, handed over a letter signed by 152 MPs to the Health Minister demanding amendment of the law (Tobacco Control Act).
Chairman of the Forum, Prof Dr Md Habibe Millat, MP handed over the letter to the Health Minister at Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban.
Health Minister Zahid Maleque lauded the MPs' initiative to curb tobacco use. He said that all possible cooperation and necessary steps will be taken to implement this demand of the members of parliament.
In the letter signed by 152 MPs, the importance of amending the law on tobacco control and the damage caused due to tobacco use was highlighted to the Health Minister.
It is illustrated in the letter that 35.3 percent people in Bangladesh use tobacco products and some 1 lakh 61 thousand people die every year due to tobacco in the country. Realising the bad effect of tobacco, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has boldly declared the elimination of tobacco from Bangladesh by 2040 and expressed her determination to amend the existing law. Coordinating all the members of parliament, the Bangladesh Parliamentary Forum has taken tobacco control seriously along with other issues related to public health.
Prof Dr Md Habibe Millat, MP said, “According to the Prime Minister's declaration, we are handing over the letter recommended by 152 MPs to the Health Minister and demanding immediate amendment of the Tobacco Control Act to protect the public health of the country.”
The letter recommended that six issues needs to be included in the amended law in the light of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). These include banning smoking in all public places, abolition of smoking areas, banning the display of tobacco products at sales points, banning the social responsibility program or CSR of tobacco companies, banning the sale of retail cigarettes or bidis, banning the import and sale of e-cigarettes and tobacco.
‘Bangladesh Parliamentary Forum for Health and Wellbeing’; The Parliamentary Forum has been working for a long time to formulate policy-making and public opinion on tobacco control.
