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Tuesday | October 27, 2026 | Dhaka

BFSA declares all offices 100pc smoke-free

 Staff Reporter
 Published: 12:03 AM, 27 October 2026

The Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA) has declared all its offices 100 per cent tobacco- and smoke-free to protect employees and visitors from the harmful effects of secondhand smoke.

BFSA Chairman and Additional Secretary Md Shafiqul Islam announced the decision at an event titled “Declaration of All Offices of the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority as 100% Tobacco- and Smoke-Free” at the authority’s headquarters in Dhaka on Monday.

The event was jointly organised by the BFSA and Dhaka Ahsania Mission (DAM). Shafiqul Islam said the decision was taken to safeguard officers, employees and people visiting the authority for services from exposure to secondhand smoke.

All BFSA activities will now be conducted in line with national tobacco control guidelines to maintain smoke-free workplaces. Presenting the keynote paper, Md Shariful Islam, coordinator of the Tobacco Control Project at Dhaka Ahsania Mission, said tobacco smoke contained about 7,000 chemicals, around 250 of which were harmful to human health and could cause serious diseases and death.

He said tobacco use claimed approximately 200,000 lives in Bangladesh every year.

Citing the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS), Shariful said 42.7 per cent of non-smoking adults in enclosed workplaces and 21.6 per cent of non-smoking adults in government offices were exposed to the risks of secondhand smoke.

He also said about 37.8 million people in Bangladesh used tobacco products, including 19.2 million smokers. Nearly 40 million people who did not use tobacco were also exposed to secondhand smoke.

He stressed that protecting people from such exposure required completely smoke-free environments in all public places, including workplaces.

Speakers at the event said the BFSA initiative could encourage other government institutions to establish smoke-free workplaces. They also called for the prompt formulation of rules under the amended tobacco control law to provide clearer guidance for public and private institutions.

They warned that delays in framing rules under the Smoking and Tobacco Products Usage (Control) Act, 2026, could hamper the implementation of public health protection measures and postpone their benefits.

The discussion was moderated by Ferdous Arafat, legal officer of the BFSA.
Among those present were Anwarul Islam Sarker, member of the BFSA; Kawsarul Islam Sikder, additional director of the authority; Dr Naila Parvin, assistant director of the Health and Nutrition Sector at Dhaka Ahsania Mission; members of the Ahsania Mission Youth Forum for Health and Wellbeing; and senior officials from the relevant organisations.