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Monday | October 26, 2026 | Dhaka

All BFSA offices declared 100 per cent tobacco- and smoke-free

 Staff Reporter
 Published: 5:28 PM, 26 October 2026

All offices of the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA) have been declared 100 per cent tobacco- and smoke-free to protect officials, employees and visitors from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke.

The announcement was made by BFSA Chairman Md Shafiqul Islam, an additional secretary, at an event organised jointly by the authority and Dhaka Ahsania Mission (DAM) at the BFSA headquarters in Dhaka on Monday.

The authority will now conduct its activities in accordance with national tobacco control guidelines to maintain a completely tobacco- and smoke-free environment across all its offices.

Shafiqul Islam said the initiative was aimed at safeguarding officials, employees and members of the public who visit the offices to receive services from exposure to second-hand smoke.

Presenting the keynote paper, Md Shariful Islam, coordinator of DAM’s Tobacco Control Project, highlighted the health risks associated with tobacco use and exposure to tobacco smoke.

He said tobacco smoke contained around 7,000 chemicals, approximately 250 of which were harmful to human health and could cause serious diseases and death.

Citing data from the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS), he said 42.7% of non-smoking adults in enclosed workplaces and 21.6% in government offices were exposed to second-hand smoke.

Shariful Islam said approximately 37.8 million people in Bangladesh used tobacco products, including 19.2 million who smoked. Nearly 40 million people were exposed to second-hand smoke despite not using tobacco themselves, he added.

He also cited an estimate that tobacco use claimed around 200,000 lives in Bangladesh every year, stressing the need to establish completely smoke-free environments in workplaces and other public places.

Speakers at the event said the BFSA initiative could encourage other government institutions to adopt similar measures to protect public health.

They also called for the swift formulation of rules under the amended Smoking and Tobacco Products Usage (Control) Act, 2026, arguing that delays could hamper the effective implementation of the law’s public health protection measures.

The speakers said clear rules were needed to guide both public and private institutions in implementing tobacco control measures and ensuring smoke-free environments.

The discussion was moderated by Ferdous Arafat, legal officer of the BFSA.

Among those present were Anwarul Islam Sarker, a member of the BFSA; Kawsarul Islam Sikder, an additional director of the authority; Dr Naila Parvin, assistant director of the Health and Nutrition Sector at DAM; members of the Ahsania Mission Youth Forum for Health and Wellbeing; and senior officials from the relevant organisations.