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Tobacco products like Bidi, Cigarette, Cigar, Hukka, Zarda, Gul, Khoini, and Sadapata should be included in the definition of Tobacco Products of Smoking and Tobacco Products(Control) Law -2005 to complete the Title of the Law. Speakers opined the above in National Leadership Workshop on Tobacco Control law 16 May 2009, at Sky Chef.
Speakers said many laws are to be passed for various national needs and there are many empowered personnel to enforce the laws. All empowered personnel should have right to enforce Tobacco Control Law to ease the implementation process of the law.Considering public health and public interest, Government has declared Public places and public transport “Smoke Free” but it is not easy to implement the law . In order to make public places and public transport smoke free, the owners/directors or manager/drivers of public places or transports should have sentence of imprisonment. In addition, sales of Bidi-Cigarette has to be prohibited in those places and spots which are defined as public places and public transports. Thus making those places Smoke Free will be easy.
Tobacco Companies are trying to continue advertisements of tobacco products although it is prohibited. It is necessary to have 1 million as fine and 1 year tailless imprisonment for underpayment the fine or both of the sentences. If this is practiced for the second time by the same company, the fine and imprisonment will be doubled and frequent practice of it will result in cancellation of Licence of the company.
Besides this, tobacco control Law will be developed by ensuring Graphic tobacco health warning on tobacco products, policy for inpiring the farmars to cultivate vegetables instead of tobacco, policy for regular high taxation on tobacco products , policy evaluation and development in each tree years. Further the law should be developed by giving the common individual litigation right against tobacco companies.
Executive Director of WBB Trust and Coordinator of Bangladesh Anti-tobacco Alliance (BATA) Saifuddin Ahmed delivered the greeting message. Senior Assistant Secretary of Ministry of Establishment S.M Mahbubur Rahman and M. Rafiqul islam Milon, President of Manobik delivered speech on the occasion. Sayed Mahbubul Alam, program Manager of WBB Trust conducted the workshop and issues regarding law development was presented by senior project officer of WBB Trust Aminul Islam Sujon.
Kazi Enayet Hossain, executive director of SCOPE, A.T.M Shahidul Islam, executive director of RAAC, executive director of EKLAB, Tariqul Islam, Aminul Islam Bakul, executive director of AID, Mazedul Haque Manik, executive director of ORD, executive director of BCDP, Altab Hossain, Abdur Razzak, executive director of SAFF, Nur Hossain Hiru, executive director of PAUP, Fazlul Haque Khan, executive director of RANI, Hasinur Rahman executive director of BAUKS led differents teams of the trainees.
Besides, representatives from YPSA, BIDC, PRAYTTASHA, ZAKAT MISSION, MAAC Bangladesh, SHARP, HELP, SRDA, UPOMA Samaj Kollayan Sangstha, NAWZOAN, WEEP, Socio Economic Resource Centre( SERC), SABHUMI, UPOKUL Samaj Kollayn Sangstha, SANGSAPTOK, NALSITI MODEL SOCIETY, RISDA, DUSTHA MANOBATAR SEBA SANGSTHA, VDO, HDO, FMH attended the workshop. Representatives from 40 organizations from all over the country being didided in several groups discussed the recommendations of tobacco control law and refuted the arguments.