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No sustainable solution to this Rohingya crisis is possible until repatriation begins

No sustainable solution to this Rohingya crisis is possible until repatriation begins

Breaking News, NGO News
“There is no hope for resolving Rohingya crisis until repatriation begins,” saidMohammed Mizanur Rahman (Additional Secretary), the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC).He made the remark as the Chief Guest while speaking at an eventorganised by ActionAid Bangladesh commemorating itseighth year in Rohingya response programmeon Sunday at Coxs Bazar. He said, “For the past eight years, the Government has been working tirelessly to resolve the Rohingya crisis. Over the past year, Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus has visited the camps twice, a three-day international conference has been organised, and most recently, the issue was discussed at the United Nations General Assembly.” He further added, “We are witnessing many positive changes in the Rohingya camps through our on...
World Heart Day 2025 Observed Nationwide: “Every Heartbeat Matters”

World Heart Day 2025 Observed Nationwide: “Every Heartbeat Matters”

Breaking News, NGO News
With the theme “Every Heartbeat Matters”, the National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh joined the global community today, Monday, in celebrating World Heart Day 2025 across the country. Cardiovascular disease remains the world’s number one killer, yet 80% of heart disease and stroke cases are preventable — a message the day’s events aimed to highlight through a series of nationwide activities. The day began with a colorful rally that started in front of the Mirpur National Cricket Stadium and concluded at the National Heart Foundation Hospital and Research Institute, with hundreds of participants joining the march. A public awareness seminar was later held at the foundation’s auditorium, presided over by Professor Khondker Abdul Awal Rizvi, President of the National Heart Foundation of Ba...
NIOH collaborates with Roche Bangladesh to host a roundtable discussion on tackling Diabetic Retinopathy

NIOH collaborates with Roche Bangladesh to host a roundtable discussion on tackling Diabetic Retinopathy

Breaking News, NGO News
On the occasion of World Retina Day 2025, the National Institute of Ophthalmology and Hospital (NIOH), in collaboration with Roche Bangladesh, hosted a multi-stakeholder roundtable discussion on the topic ‘Bridging Policy Task Shifting and Innovation: Tackling Diabetic Retinopathy’ on September 28, 2025, at Pan Pacific Sonargaon Dhaka. The event brought together several policymakers, healthcare professionals, INGOs, and private sector representatives to have a discussion on how Bangladesh can better tackle Diabetic Retinopathy (DR), a leading cause of vision loss in the country. Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) is linked closely with the rising prevalence of diabetes, and it's one of the leading causes of preventable blindness in Bangladesh. Despite being a growing public health issue, early d...
Tobacco Companies Must Not Be Stakeholders in TC Law Amendment: Fisheries and Livestock Adviser

Tobacco Companies Must Not Be Stakeholders in TC Law Amendment: Fisheries and Livestock Adviser

Breaking News, NGO News
Tobacco companies cannot in any way be stakeholders in the amendment of the Tobacco Control Law, said Farida Akhter, Adviser to the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock. She stressed that the government will never take such an anti-public interest step, noting that tobacco companies’ manipulations have already delayed the amendment for far too long. “No more delay is acceptable. Just as the youth of Bangladesh drove fascism out of the country, they must now lead the way in eradicating tobacco,” she urged. The adviser was speaking as the chief guest at a discussion held on Wednesday (24 September 2025) at the CIRDAP auditorium in the capital. The event, organized by the Development Organisation of the Rural Poor-DORP, was titled “Ensuring Public Health Protection by Passing the Proposed A...
Demand for the Immediate Passage of the Proposed Amendments to the Tobacco Control Act

Demand for the Immediate Passage of the Proposed Amendments to the Tobacco Control Act

Breaking News, NGO News
DORP Youth Forum has called for the swift passage of the proposed amendments to the Tobacco Control Act by the Ministry of Health, free from the influence of tobacco companies, in order to protect public health. They made this demand to help achieve a tobacco-free Bangladesh and to safeguard the next generation from the deadly grip of tobacco. On Monday (22 September 2025) at 11:00 a.m., during a human chain program organized by the DORP Youth Forum in front of the National Board of Revenue building at Agargaon, Dhaka, youth advocates reiterated their demand for the immediate passage of the proposed amendments to the Tobacco Control Act. Appealing to the Honorable Chief Adviser not to delay the process, the anti-tobacco youth advocates urged him to give utmost importance to the urgen...
Doctors Demand Boycott meetings with Tobacco Companies on Law Amendment

Doctors Demand Boycott meetings with Tobacco Companies on Law Amendment

Breaking News, NGO News
Doctors and health professionals have demanded the swift passage of the proposed amendments to the Tobacco Control Act for the protection of public health and prevention of non-communicable diseases, as well as refraining from holding meetings with tobacco companies regarding the amendment process. On Sunday (21 September), this demand was raised at a solidarity event organized by Dhaka Ahsania Mission in front of the National Parliament Building, calling for the immediate amendment of the Tobacco Control Act. Iqbal Masud, Director of Health and WASH Sector of Dhaka Ahsania Mission, said that the use of tobacco products is one of the main causes of various non-communicable diseases, including heart disease, stroke, and chronic respiratory diseases. In Bangladesh, more than 161,000 pe...
Experts Urge Strengthening the Law to Build a Tobacco-Free Generation

Experts Urge Strengthening the Law to Build a Tobacco-Free Generation

Breaking News, NGO News
Tobacco works as a major impediment towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Bangladesh. In particular, tobacco frustrates SDG Target 3.4 which is to reduce premature mortality from non-communicable diseases (NCDs) by one-third within 2030. In Bangladesh, 71% of all deaths are attributed to non-communicable diseases, including cardiovascular diseases and cancer, with tobacco use being a major contributing factor. On average, tobacco claims the lives of 442 individuals every day. With a view to achieving SDGs and preventing such massive loss of lives and building a tobacco-free generation, there is no alternative to strengthening tobacco control law. Experts said this today (20 September 2025, Saturday) during a roundtable titled "Building a Tobacco-Free Generation: Citizen...
Dhaka WASA Declared 100% Smoke-Free

Dhaka WASA Declared 100% Smoke-Free

Breaking News, NGO News
Dhaka WASA has officially declared its headquarters to be 100% smoke-free. The announcement was made by Md. Amirul Islam, Deputy Managing Director (Human Resources and Administration) of Dhaka WASA, during a stakeholder meeting held on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, at the Buriganga Hall of the WASA building. The event was jointly organized by the Development Organisation of the Rural Poor-DORP and Dhaka WASA to strengthen tobacco control activities and advance the goal of a tobacco-free Bangladesh. In his speech as Chief Guest, Md. Amirul Islam emphasized that the harms of smoking extend not only to smokers but also to non-smokers exposed to secondhand smoke. He noted that thousands of people visit the WASA building every day, and by ensuring a smoke-free workplace, both employees and ...
Over a Hundred Physicians Demand Amendment of Tobacco Control Law

Over a Hundred Physicians Demand Amendment of Tobacco Control Law

Breaking News, NGO News
To reduce tobacco-related diseases and deaths, more than one hundred physicians of the Bangladesh Diabetic Association (BADAS) have urged urgent amendment of the Tobacco Control Law. BADAS President and National Professor AK Azad Khan, BIRDEM Director General Professor Mirza Mahbubul Hasan, and Professor Dr. ArupRatan Choudhury, along with specialist doctors of BIRDEM Hospital, submitted a letter to the Health, Finance, and Commerce Advisors. Dr. ArupRatan Choudhury noted that tobacco-related illnesses are rapidly increasing, creating heavy pressure on hospitals and families. With 70% of healthcare costs borne by patients, rising disease burden and premature deaths threaten national development. He emphasized that all ministries must act together on tobacco control to protect public hea...
National Heart Foundation Welcomes Directive for 100% Tobacco-Free Health Facilities

National Heart Foundation Welcomes Directive for 100% Tobacco-Free Health Facilities

Breaking News, NGO News
The National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh has welcomed the Directorate General of Health Services’ directive to make all public and private hospitals and healthcare facilities 100% tobacco-free, calling it a “significant step” for public health. In a press release signed today (Thursday, 11 September 2025) by the President of the National Heart Foundation, Professor Dr. Khandakar Abdul Awal Rizvi, it was stated that following a letter from the Foundation on 23 July 2025, the Health Directorate has instructed all hospitals, medical and dental colleges, specialized hospitals, nursing colleges, and other healthcare institutions across the country to implement full tobacco-free environments. The directive aims to ensure a 100% tobacco and smoke-free environment for doctors, nurses, hea...