The Mothers' Forum Against Tobacco on Wednesday called for the rapid passage of the proposed amendments to the Tobacco Control Law, citing the harmful impact of secondhand smoke on mothers and children. The demand was made during the formation meeting of the Anti-Tobacco Mothers' Forum, organized by Nari Maitree at Krishibid Institute Bangladesh. Eighteen mothers at the event raised awareness about the dangers of smoking, both direct and secondhand, and to push for stronger tobacco control measures. The forum emphasized that passive smoking poses a significant health risk to women and children, even if they do not smoke themselves. Shivani Bhattacharya, former Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Social Welfare, convened the meeting, which was co-convened by Shahnaz Begum Poly, management committee member of the National Press Club, and Afsana Nowrin. Shaheen Akter Dolly, Executive Director of Nari Maitree, chaired the event. Prioritise harm reduction in battling tobacco addiction: speakers Abdus Salam Mia, Programs Manager at Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids Bangladesh, highlighted the urgent need for the government to act swiftly. During the meeting, Nari Maitree’s project coordinator, Nasrin Akter, presented alarming data, revealing that 37.8 million people in Bangladesh use tobacco, with an estimated 442 deaths per day from tobacco-related diseases. The forum called for the immediate approval of the Ministry of Health’s proposed amendments to the Tobacco Control Law, which include eliminating smoking areas in public places, banning tobacco product displays at points of sale, prohibiting corporate social responsibility activities by tobacco companies, and restricting the marketing of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products. Other key provisions include banning loose sales of tobacco products and increasing the size of pictorial health warnings on tobacco packaging from 50% to 90%. Convener Shivani Bhattacharya pointed out that 38.4 million people in Bangladesh, predominantly women and children, are exposed to secondhand smoke, which leads to serious health issues such as miscarriages, premature births, low birth weight, and stillbirths. The forum pledged to provide ongoing support in pushing for the passage of the amendments and to work tirelessly to educate mothers on the dangers of tobacco use and secondhand smoke. The forum also stressed the importance of effective taxation on tobacco products and urged the National Board of Revenue and the Ministry of Finance to take action. Abdus Salam Miah underscored the role of mothers in protecting young people from tobacco addiction, which is becoming more common among teenagers. Citing a World Health Organization Global Youth Tobacco Survey, he noted that nearly 12% of Bangladeshi adolescents aged 13 to 15 are regular smokers. Notable attendees included writer and columnist Sapna Reza, News Editor of Views Bangladesh Maria Salam, Senior Reporter of Ittefaq Rabia Hossain Baby, President of Kheya Women and Child Development Organization Farzana Shammi, and mothers from diverse professional backgrounds.