Four journalists have received fellowship awards in anti-tobacco journalism from Dhaka Ahsania Mission.

The names of the journalists – Masud Rumee (Kaler Kantho), Dolar Mehedi (71 TV), Jannatul Ferdous Panna (Amader Natun Somoy) and Md Akhtaruzzaman (Amader Orthoniti) –  were announced at a virtual event Wednesday.

Lead Policy Advisor of Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids Bangladesh Md Mostafizur Rahman presided over the programme.

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Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Md Mokbul Hossain was the chief guest and Zafar Wazed, director general of the Press Institute of Bangladesh, was a special guest at the ceremony.

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Md Mokbul Hossain congratulated the awardees and called upon them to prepare and publish regular reports, emphasising the amendment of the existing tobacco control laws.

Zafar Wazed said, "Journalists are doing a lot to raise public awareness amid the pandemic. I believe their anti-tobacco activities will continue to generate public opinion and the government will step forward to amend the Tobacco Control Act to protect public health."

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In April this year, Dhaka Ahsania Mission's Tobacco Control Project called for applications from the media professionals for fellowships in anti-tobacco journalism with the theme "amendment of the law is a necessity to build a tobacco-free Bangladesh."

After preliminary selection, 25 journalists participated in a workshop. Next, 21 reports of 14 journalists were published.  Of those, four reports were selected as the best and the reporters were given fellowship awards.

Fellowship awardees will receive a certificate and prize money of Tk20,000. The other participants who submitted the report will also receive certificates, according to the Dhaka Ahsania Mission's Tobacco Control Project.