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. Also read: Speakers for amending Smoking and Tobacco Usage (Control) Act 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. Also Read: National Budget: Progga, ATMA for hiking tobacco goods Also Read: Budget: Prices of tobacco products up, gold down

Scores of prominent doctors have urged the government to hike tobacco tax in the budget to protect public health. In a joint statement on Friday, initiated by Dhaka Ahsania Mission, 121 doctors said tobacco was involved in six of the eight leading causes of preventable death worldwide. The statement noted that cigarettes are very cheap and readily available in the market due to the multi-layered tax structure of cigarettes in Bangladesh depending on the features and brands. As a result, consumers are able to choose cheaper cigarettes instead of quitting, and the use of cigarettes has been relatively similar in recent years. The availability of tobacco products must be reduced through tax increases, said the doctors. Also read: Speakers want specific taxes imposed to increase price of tobacco products According to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS), tobacco users have a 57 percent higher risk of developing tobacco-related diseases such as heart disease, stroke, COPD or lung cancer, and a 109 percent higher risk of other tobacco-related cancers. According to the statement, more than 1,61,000 people die of tobacco-related diseases every year in Bangladesh.

Dhaka Ahsania Mission (DAM) has selected National Professor Dr Anisuzzaman for the Khan Bahadur Ahsanullah Gold Medal Award-2018 for his outstanding contribution to education.