‘Tobacco control amendment to be placed in JS’

State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Bobby Hajjaj on Tuesday said the demand of youths for stronger tobacco control would be properly raised in parliament, stressing that the Tobacco Control (Amendment) Ordinance -2025 must be passed into law to build a tobacco-free young generation.

“It is essential to pass the Tobacco Control (Amendment) Ordinance – 2025 into law to build a tobacco-free young society,” he told a seminar titled “Government Commitment and Public Expectations in Controlling Tobacco-Induced Non-Communicable Diseases for Public Health Protection,” organized by Dhaka Ahsania Mission in Dhanmondi in the capital, reports BSS.

The state minister said, “Necessary steps would be taken in the upcoming national budget to effectively increase the prices of tobacco products so that they remain out of reach of children and adolescents.”

Hajjaj also assured that measures would be taken to prevent the sale of tobacco products within 100 yards of schools and colleges.

Director of the Institute of Health Economics of Dhaka University Professor Dr Shafiun Nahin Shimul and Director of Health and WASH Sector of Dhaka Ahsania Mission Iqbal Masud also addressed the seminar among others.

Dr Shimul said increasing the prices of tobacco products as proposed could generate more than TK 85,000 crore in revenue, which is TK 44,000 crore higher than the current fiscal year.

Iqbal Masud said there is no scope to ignore tobacco control in ensuring public health protection, adding that it would be impossible to safeguard public health without reducing tobacco use in the country.

He also stressed that the Tobacco Control (Amendment) Ordinance- 2025 must be passed in parliament without any dilution, in line with the government’s election manifesto and commitments to control non-communicable diseases and implement the FCTC.

Speakers at the seminar called for incorporating provisions to ban e-cigarettes in the proposed law and placing it in the current session of parliament for swift passage, aiming to protect the younger generation from tobacco-related harm.

Chaired by President of Dhaka Ahsania Mission Professor Dr Golam Rahman, the seminar was also addressed by Coordinator of Ahsania Mission Youth Forum Marjana Muntaha and its member Tasnim Hasan Abir.