DORP Youth Forum on Monday called for the swift passage of the proposed amendments to the Tobacco Control Act by the Ministry of Health, free from the influence of tobacco companies to protect public health.

They made this demand to help achieve a tobacco-free Bangladesh and to safeguard the next generation from the deadly grip of tobacco during a human chain programme organised by the DORP Youth Forum in front of the National Board of Revenue building at Agargaon.

Appealing to the chief adviser not to delay the process, the anti-tobacco youth advocates urged him to give utmost importance to the urgent passage of the draft amendment to the Tobacco Control Act. They pointed out that every year in Bangladesh, 161,000 people die from tobacco-related diseases (on average 442 people per day), while millions more suffer from illness. They said, there is no alternative but to pass the proposed amendments to the Tobacco Control Act without delay.

The youth advocates expressed grave concern over recent media reports about a meeting between the Advisory Committee and tobacco companies, describing it as a clear violation of Article 5.3 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).

According to this article, no tobacco company’s opinions can be considered in the process of amending a country’s tobacco control law. As a signatory to the FCTC, Bangladesh is obligated to uphold this commitment. Hence, the amendments to the Tobacco Control Act must be entirely free from the influence of tobacco companies.

At the human chain, six key amendment proposals from the draft prepared by the Health Services Division, in line with the WHO FCTC, were emphasised. The proposals called for the complete elimination of designated smoking areas in all public places and public transport to ensure full protection for non-smokers and a ban on the display of tobacco products at points of sale, so as to prevent indirect promotion. Another major recommendation was to prohibit tobacco companies from carrying out so-called corporate social responsibility activities, which often serve as a disguised form of advertisement.

The human chain was attended by more than a hundred anti-tobacco youth advocates from various educational institutions including the University of Dhaka, Jahangirnagar University, Jagannath University, BUP, Dhaka College, Govt. Bangla College, and Khilgaon Model College.

DORP Youth Forum submitted a memorandum containing their demands to the Chairman of the National Board of Revenue after the event.