To protect public health and shield the general population from the harms of secondhand smoke, as well as to ensure a 100% smoke-free environment, the budget allocated annually by Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) for tobacco control will be properly utilized through structured annual planning, said Brigadier General Imrul Quais Chowdhury, Chief Health Officer of DNCC.
He made the remarks while presiding over a discussion meeting titled “Steps Toward a Smoke- and Tobacco-Free Dhaka North City Corporation”, jointly organized by Dhaka Ahsania Mission and DNCC, held on Wednesday (28 May 2025) at the DNCC conference room.
The meeting was chaired by Brigadier General Imrul Quais Chowdhury and attended by DNCC Deputy Chief Health Officer Dr. Imdadul Haque, Health Officers Dr. Mahmuda Polly and Dr. Firoz Alam, Director of Health and WASH Sector of Dhaka Ahsania Mission Iqbal Masud, along with senior officials from DNCC. The objectives of the meeting were outlined by Dr. Mohammad Khalilullah, Vice President of Dhaka Ahsania Mission.
Presenting the keynote, Shariful Islam, Coordinator of the Tobacco Control Project at Dhaka Ahsania Mission, highlighted findings from the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) 2017, which revealed that approximately 37.8 million people in the country use tobacco products, with 19.2 million actively smoking. Additionally, around 40 million non-smokers are exposed to secondhand smoke. According to GATS 2017, the rate of secondhand smoke exposure stands at 42.7%. Key reasons for this include low public awareness about the law, widespread promotion and easy availability of tobacco products, weak enforcement of tobacco control laws, and deceptive strategies by tobacco companies.
Speakers at the event noted that smoking is often observed in workplaces, exposing many to secondhand smoke despite not smoking themselves. To protect people from such harm, it is essential to ensure 100% smoke-free workplaces by implementing necessary measures.
They recommended conducting mobile court drives to enforce smoking bans at bus stands, restaurants, and other public places under DNCC’s jurisdiction. Additionally, they emphasized the need for clear directives and installation of smoke-free signage to maintain smoke-free zones around workplaces and to declare all DNCC offices entirely smoke- and smoking-zone-free.
Despite existing bans on tobacco advertising, companies continue to use sales outlets to promote their products—a practice that must be stopped. The speakers urged strong enforcement of tobacco control laws in DNCC-controlled markets, public places, and sales points to prevent such violations.
Furthermore, the speakers stressed the importance of allocating budgetary provisions for tobacco control activities in the upcoming DNCC budget and ensuring effective utilization of the allocated funds to achieve a smoke-free environment. They also called for increased public awareness campaigns through social media, especially targeting the youth, to highlight the harmful effects of tobacco and encourage proactive participation in tobacco control efforts.