The Dhaka Divisional Commissioner’s Office has received a national award in recognition of its outstanding contribution to tobacco control, marking World No Tobacco Day 2025.
The office was honored for declaring all District Commissioners’ office premises in Dhaka Division as 100% smoke-free and taking proactive steps to ensure a healthier, tobacco-free workplace.
The award was presented at a ceremony organized by the National Tobacco Control Cell at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in Dhaka on Saturday while Md. Sharf Uddin Ahmed Choudhury, Divisional Commissioner of Dhaka, received the award.
In his remarks, Commissioner Chowdhury credited the guidance of National Professor Brigadier (Retd.) Abdul Malik, founder of the National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh, with whom he has been working on tobacco control initiatives since 2015. “This recognition is a great source of encouragement. We are committed to protecting non-smokers and have removed all designated smoking areas from our office premises,” he stated.
The award follows a series of measures implemented earlier this year. On March 20, a consultation meeting was held at the Divisional Commissioner’s Office, where stakeholders discussed steps to ensure a 100% smoke-free office environment. Based on the decisions made, an official directive was issued on April 8, declaring all DC office compounds in Dhaka Division smoke-free. Signage was installed, and any existing smoking zones within buildings were removed.
Also recognized at the event were Rajbari District Administration and Shibpur Upazila Administration in Narsingdi, honored in the district and upazila categories respectively for their tobacco control initiatives.
Earlier in the day, a rally and public gathering took place under this year’s World No Tobacco Day theme: “Expose Tobacco Industry Tactics, Build a Tobacco- and Nicotine-Free Bangladesh.” The discussion was chaired by Health Secretary Md. Saidur Rahman, with Health Adviser Nurjahan Begum attending as Chief Guest. Other notable participants included Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhter, Professor Dr. Md. Sayedur Rahman, Railways Secretary Fahimul Islam, and DGHS Director General Professor Dr. Abu Zafar.
The Dhaka Divisional Commissioner’s recognition highlights the growing momentum for tobacco-free public spaces in Bangladesh and is expected to inspire other government institutions to take similar actions.