More than 1 lakh 61 thousand people die prematurely every year in Bangladesh due to tobacco use. Therefore, realizing the awfulness of tobacco, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the closing ceremony of the South Asian Speakers Summit on Achieving Sustainable Development Goals held in Dhaka on January 30-31, 2016 announced the complete eradication of tobacco use from Bangladesh by 2040. Therefore, the law needs to be amended to build a tobacco-free Bangladesh - Additional Secretary (World Health) Kazi Jebunnesa Begum said this on March 23 as the chief guest at a discussion meeting titled 'What to do to build a tobacco-free Bangladesh 2040'.

The meeting was held at 11:30 am in the meeting room of the Health Economics Unit on Topkhana Road in the capital. Director General of the Health Economics Unit of the Department of Health Md. Shahadat Hossain Mahmud and Additional Secretary of Health Services Tahmidul Islam spoke as a special guest at the meeting. Former Chairman of BCIC and Lead Policy Advisor of Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids Bangladesh Md. Mostafizur Rahman presented the keynote address at the meeting. The meeting was jointly organized by the National Tobacco Control Cell and the Dhaka Ahsania Mission in collaboration with the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids (CTFK).

Kazi Jebunnesa Begum in her speech further said that the Ministry of Health has already taken some steps in tobacco control such as- a roadmap has been drafted and it is in the final stage. Hopefully it will be finalized in a few days. We are also working on finalizing the national tobacco control policy. Besides, work is underway to institutionalize the National Tobacco Control Cell. We have also started work on necessary amendments to the current Tobacco Control Act. Hopefully the next amended law will be more stringent and effective in protecting public health.

Director General of the Health Economics Unit of the Department of Health. Md. Shahadat Hossain Mahmud said the law should be amended to build a tobacco-free Bangladesh as declared by the Prime Minister by 2040, so that tobacco use among tobacco users is gradually reduced.

Tahmidul Islam, additional secretary of the health department, said women need to be made aware to reduce their tendency to use smokeless tobacco. If necessary, strict laws have to be made in this regard. And it has become more necessary to modernize the law.

In this context, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has made significant improvements in tobacco control activities. Due to the steps taken by the government to control tobacco, the rate of tobacco use among the population over the age of 15 in Bangladesh has come down to 35.3% from 43.3% in 2009. Realizing the dangers of tobacco, the Government of Bangladesh enacted the Smoking and Use of Tobacco Products (Control) Act, 2005 and enacted the necessary rules in 2006. To make it more consistent with the FCTC, the government amended the law in 2013 and enacted rules in 2015.

It may be mentioned that Dhaka Ahsania Mission has been implementing tobacco control program since 1990. The Dhaka Ahsania Mission has been playing a very important role in the consultation and advocacy work with the policy makers in the amendment and proper implementation of the Tobacco Control Act and in controlling the use of tobacco. As an active member of the Tobacco Control Act Amendment Committee, Dhaka Ahsania Mission has been working with other tobacco control activists and concerned stakeholders since 2009 to amend the Tobacco Control Act and bring them together to play a positive role in amending the Act. The Dhaka Ahsania Mission has already issued various guidelines to the government for tobacco control initiatives (LGD, DSCC, DNCC, Savar and Satkhira Municipalities), implementation guidelines (NTCC) and strategies for the hospitality sector (Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism Development) has done.