A delegation from the research and advocacy organization PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress) and the Anti-Tobacco Media Alliance (ATMA) met with Commerce Adviser Sk. Bashir Uddin on Monday at his office in the Bangladesh Secretariat.

During the meeting, the PROGGA-ATMA delegation briefed the Commerce Adviser on the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare’s (MoHFW) initiative to eliminate designated smoking areas (DSAs) through amendments to existing laws.

The move aims to protect non-smokers from the dangers of passive smoking. The delegation emphasized that achieving a 100% smoke-free environment in public spaces is impossible as long as DSAs remain in place.

They highlighted that smoke leakage from smoking zones in hotels and restaurants exposes all patrons, including women and children, to secondhand smoke, while hospitality workers are also at risk.

The delegation also presented alarming statistics on tobacco use in Bangladesh, noting that the country has the highest prevalence of tobacco consumption in South Asia at 35.3%, according to the 2017 Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS).

This compares to 28.6% in India and 19.1% in Pakistan. They also pointed out that tobacco-related deaths and diseases pose a significant barrier to achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3, which focuses on ensuring healthy lives and well-being for all.

Tobacco use claims nearly 161,000 lives annually in Bangladesh, with the economic losses from tobacco-related health issues far exceeding the revenue generated by the tobacco industry.

The delegation included Mortuza Haider Liton, convener of ATMA; Nadira Kiron, co-convener of ATMA; Md. Shafiqul Islam, Business In-charge at Bangla Tribune; ABM Zubair, Executive Director of PROGGA; and Md. Hasan Shahriar, Head of Programs at PROGGA

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