Smoking ban not enforced

Strict enforcement of Bangladesh’s amended Tobacco Control Law is needed to protect non-smokers in public places, according to a story in the Financial Express quoting speakers participating in a meeting at Rajshahi on Sunday.

The meeting, entitled Strengthening Tobacco Control in Rajshahi and Rangpur divisions, was organized by the Association for Community Development and supported by the Campaign for Tobacco-free Kids and Bloomberg Philanthropies.

Speakers said that violations of the country’s tobacco law act were happening as smokers indulged their habit in areas where smoking was supposed to be banned, including in public places and on public transport, especially at railway stations and bus terminals.

The violations were said to be threatening public health almost everywhere.

The deputy director of the Rajshahi local government division, Dr. Dewan Shahriar Firoj, who addressed the meeting as the chief guest, said there was a need for infusing dynamism into enforcement of the Tobacco Control Law through mobile courts.

He urged the field-level administrative officials to perform their duties with honesty in this regard.