The country’s100 per cent points of sales exhibit tobacco products and advertising materials which are banned in tobacco control law, according to a study.
The study conducted by Voices for Interactive Choice and Empowerment (VOICE), a rights-based research and advocacy organisation, recommended that the government should implement law and stop the display of tobacco products in the shops.
The study titled 'Tobacco Industry Interference on Tobacco Advertisement, Promotion and Sponsorship at Points of Sale in Dhaka city of Bangladesh’ also said tobacco control law needs to be strengthened in order to make sure these violations do not take place.
These were revealed at a dissemination event with the National Tobacco Control Cell (NTCC), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare at NTCC meeting room in city on Wednesday, according to a press statement.
The study focused on exploring tobacco industry’s interference and manipulation through tobacco advertisement, promotion and sponsorship at Points of Sale in Dhaka city.
The details of the findings will be revealed soon at a press conference.
Kazi Zebunnessa Begum, additional secretary and programme director, NTCC attended the meeting as chief guest while Dr Mohd Shahadat Hossain Mahmud, director general (Health Economics Unit) and Khondokar Zakir Hossain, additional secretary and coordinator, NTCC attended as special guests.
Lead Policy Adviser of CTFK Md Mostafizur Rahman presided over the occasion.
Among others, Joint Secretary (World Health), Nilufer Nazneen, Joint Secretary (Public Health) SM Alam, Deputy Secretary Md Sadekul Islam, Deputy Secretary Khandoker Zakir Hossain from Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and CTFK’s Grants Manager Abdus Salam Miah and Senior Policy Adviser Ataur Rahman and Communications Manager Sarker Shams Bin Sharif were present at the meeting.
Zayed Siddiki, project coordinator of VOICE, presented the key findings of the study.
Ahmed Swapan Mahmud, executive director of Voice, delivered the welcome briefing at the meeting.