Sylhet City Corporation declared smoke-free

September 4, 2014

Ariful Haque Chowdhury, Mayor of Sylhet City Corporation has declared smoke free Sylhet City Corporation. He said that 27 ward offices of Sylhet City Corporation would be smoke free from 1st September 2014 and all other public spaces and public transport would also be smoke free while he was present as chief guest in a view exchanging session on ‘Smoke Free Sylhet City Corporation’ organized by CTFK and SCC.
Sylhet City Corporation will form ward base smoke free committee headed by Ward councilors who will monitor and take grass root level initiatives in each ward.
Mayor will call a meeting for implement the smoke free Sylhet City Corporation within a short time where CTFK will be invited.
Mayor has given responsibility to Social Welfare standing committee and Health Department for smoke free initiatives
MeetingThe meeting was held at city hallroom of Sylhet City corporation office on 31th August 2014 on Sunday with the assistance of Bloomberg Initiatives and Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids. City Corporation has assisted CTFK to organize the meeting.
Ariful Haque Chowdhury, Mayor of City Corporation was the chief guest. Besides that Joint secretary Shoriful Alam, Chief excutive officer of SCC Anamul Habib, President of Sylhet district bar Ruhul Anam Chowdhury, secretary of Sylhet press club Sirajul Islam, Director of Simantik Parbej Alam were presented as special guests. All councilors, panel mayor, officials of Sylhet City Corporation, smoke free coalition members and journalists were attended the meeting.
During the session, mayor signed on a board marked ‘Smoke Free Sylhet City Corporation’. CTFK handed over the Smoke Free Guideline to the Mayor.
Project manager of Simantik Masum Billah presented a slide show presentation on health hazards of smoking and Sefali Begum presented a slide show presentation on smoke free initiatives of CTFK and Sylhet City Corporation (SCC), present status of tobacco consumption in Bangladesh, After the both presentation participants have participated in open discussion session and they has given some new ideas and their concern for smoke free city corporation.