A delegation from the research and advocacy organization PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress) and the Anti-Tobacco Media Alliance (ATMA) has called for a ban on designated smoking areas (DSAs) in hotels and restaurants, arguing that such zones hinder the establishment of a truly smoke-free environment.

The group met with Mr. A. F. Hassan Ariff, the Honorable Adviser for the Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry and the Land Ministry, to urge the amendment of the tobacco control law.

The delegation highlighted the dangers of secondhand smoke, which leaks from smoking areas into non-smoking zones, exposing women, children, and hospitality workers to harmful tobacco smoke.

These workers are particularly vulnerable to passive smoking while serving customers. The group emphasized that banning DSAs is essential for protecting public health and advancing the government's goal of reducing tobacco use.

During the meeting, Mr. Ariff expressed his full support for the Health Ministry's initiative to amend and strengthen existing tobacco control laws.

The amendment, which includes the proposal to eliminate DSAs, aims to align with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of reducing premature deaths from noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) by one-third by 2030.

Tobacco use remains a significant barrier to achieving this goal, with 35.3 percent of adults in Bangladesh currently using tobacco products.

The country loses nearly 161,000 lives annually to tobacco-related diseases, and the financial cost of these deaths far exceeds the revenue generated by the tobacco sector.

This has prompted the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) to take action by drafting a strengthened tobacco control law, which has been developed through extensive consultations with civil society and stakeholders.

The delegation included Shankar Maitra, Director of News and Current Affairs at Channel S; Mortuza Haider Liton, ATMA Convener; Nadira Kiron and Mizan Chowdhury, Co-conveners of ATMA; ABM Zubair, Executive Director of PROGGA; and Md. Hasan Shahriar, Head of Programs at PROGGA.

—-