Additional secretary of Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry Atiqul Huq was present as the chief guest at the seminar, while Ministry of Health and Family Welfare’s joint secretary and Coordinator of the National Tobacco Control Cell Md Khairul Alam Sheikh, Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation’s Finance and Administration sector’s director Dr. Md Ali Akbar, director of the Planning and Commerce Department Abeda Akter, Chief Executive Officer of Savar City Corporation Sharf Uddin Ahmed, Grants Manager of CTFK Abdus Salam Mia and Country Manager of Vital Strategies Nasiruddin attended the meeting as special guests.
DAM Assistant Director and Tobacco Control Program project Coordinator Md Mukhlesur Rahman presented the strategy paper in the meeting.
“Demonstrating the Tobacco free Hospitality Sector Strategy is essential to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Six institutions of Civil Aviation and Tourism ministry will work in order to implement the strategy. A monitoring team will be formed under tobacco control focal point of the ministry which will overlook the procedure at regular interval,” said additional secretary Atiqul Huq.
Presiding over the meeting, the chairman of Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation Ram Chandra Das said that smoking-friendly hotel rooms will cost more than the non-smoking rooms in residential hotels, in order to discourage the smokers.
The strategy paper will be included in the training curriculum and proper training will be provided to the trainees, he added.
During the open discussion, participants suggested to plan a session on the strategy paper in Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation’s trade conference. On behalf of the participants, Mr Das requested the respective authorities in the parliament and secretariat canteens to display smoke-free stickers in all the tables, with permission and sponsorship from the Chief whip.
Research says that the ratio of smoking (both active and secondhand) is relatively higher in the hospitality sector which includes hotels, motels, guesthouses, resorts, restaurants, bars etc. Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) reported in 2017 that at least 50% population has been exposed to secondhand smoking in restaurants and 43% at work places.
In order to protect the non-smokers who are getting exposed to the harmful consequences of tobacco usages, the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism is implementing the ‘Tobacco Free Hospitality Sector Strategy’.