[Intl-tobacco] Bangladesh: Tobacco control law passed

[robert weissman]

UNITED NEWS OF BANGLADESH
Tobacco control law passed

Monday March 14 2005


Jatiya Sangsad on Sunday passed three bills including one that prohibits
smoking at public places and public transports.

The bill restricting smoking at public places and public transports has
endorsed a fine of Tk 50 for the offender.

The health and family welfare minister, Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain,
piloted the Smoking and Tobacco Product Usage (Control) Bill 2005, which
aims at discouraging smoking and sale of cigarettes and tobacco products.

The public places include educational institutions, government,
semi-government and autonomous offices, library, lift, hospital, clinic,
court building, airport, sea and river port buildings, railway station
and bus terminal buildings, ferry, cinema halls, covered exhibition
centre, theatre halls, children's park and other places designated by
gazette notifications.

The bill prohibits advertisement of tobacco products in cinema halls,
government-private TV channels, sale of films or videotape containing
tobacco products, publication of advertisements in books, magazines,
leaflets, handbills, billboards, newspapers, etc.

It also restricts installation of vending machines in public places to
sell the tobacco products.

Under a provision of the bill, the officials concerned would expel
violators of the law from public places and destroy the tobacco products
if sold in violation of the law.

The parliament also passed a bill that provides for punishment, both in
terms of jail and cash, for owners or masters of inland vessels found
guilty of overloading.

The shipping minister, Akbar Hossain, piloted the Inland Shipping
(Amendment) Bill 2005, which provides for punishment of two years in
imprisonment and fine of up to Tk 50,000 for violation of the rules.

The parliament also passed the Computer and Technical Education Academy
Bill 2005, moved by the education minister, Osman Farruk.

UNITED NEWS OF BANGLADESH, Dhaka

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Monday, 14 March, 2005
BBC NEWS
Bangladesh bans smoking in public
Bangladesh has outlawed smoking in public places, including on transport.

Parliament passed the ban on smoking in areas including schools,
offices, hospitals and airports.

People caught smoking in public places will now have to pay a fine of 50
taka (80 US cents; 40 UK pence) under the new anti-smoking provisions.

Bangladesh earns nearly US$250m in taxes from tobacco products each
year, but officials say the country spends more to cure tobacco-related
diseases.

The new law also bans advertising of tobacco products in cinemas,
newspapers or on television and restricts the installation of cigarette
vending machines in public places.

Anti-tobacco groups, who have long campaigned against the growing use of
tobacco products in the country, welcomed the move.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) said about half of Bangladeshi men
and a fifth of its women use tobacco.