BSS, Rangpur :
Speakers at a regional meeting have stressed for restricting the tobacco companies from luring the innocent farmers in increasing tobacco cultivation for greater national interests to save public health from catastrophes.
The tobacco companies have been adopting various business strategies and interfering in the policy-making process at various levels to keep farmers in their grip for increasing tobacco cultivation confining them in chasing after lucrative profits, they said.
The Anti Tobacco Media Alliance (ATMA) organised the meeting at regional office of Association for Community Development (ACD) in the city on Tuesday for its members with assistance of ACD, ‘Progga’ and Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (CTFK).
The ATMA member journalists of the print, electronic and online media from Rangpur region participated in the meeting with ATMA member and Rangpur Correspondent of the Daily Sangbad Liyakat Ali Badal in the chair.
Project Coordinator of ACD Ehsanul Amin Emon narrated present tobacco cultivation scenario, violation of the amended Tobacco Control Act (TCA), health hazards of smoking in public places and success achieved by ATMA in the anti-tobacco campaign.
Journalist members of ATMA Mahbubul Islam of ATN Bangla, Senior Reporter of BSS Mamun Islam, Senior Reporter of Massranga Television Rafikul Islam Sarker, Staff Reporter of Chanel-I Merina Lovely and SM Piyal of the Rangpur Chitra addressed.
Programme Officer of AACD Asim Sarker Litan, Gaibandha Correspondent of the Sokaler Ananda ABS Litan, Thakurgaon Correspondent of the Dainik Samokal Asaduzzaman Azad, Lalmonirhat Correspondents Khorshed Alam Sagar of the banglanews24.com and Milan Patwari of the Manabjamin also spoke.
The speakers expressed concern over continuous intervention of the tobacco companies in the process of formulation of various laws to discourage tobacco cultivation and consumption of tobacco products.
The journalists should strengthen media reporting against strategies of the tobacco companies, on the threat of using tobacco products and increasing tobacco cultivation, health hazards and stopping of smoking in public places and transports, they said.
They said 156 people are embracing deaths daily in Bangladesh from tobacco related diseases, discussed frequent violation of the amended TCA and role of media for its proper enforcement to improve tobacco control situation for saving human lives.
Putting high emphasis on filing more investigative reports on hazardous impacts of smoking in public places and using tobacco products, they asked the ATMA members for disclosing all these information and slower pace in enforcing the amended TCA.
Speakers at a regional meeting have stressed for restricting the tobacco companies from luring the innocent farmers in increasing tobacco cultivation for greater national interests to save public health from catastrophes.
The tobacco companies have been adopting various business strategies and interfering in the policy-making process at various levels to keep farmers in their grip for increasing tobacco cultivation confining them in chasing after lucrative profits, they said.
The Anti Tobacco Media Alliance (ATMA) organised the meeting at regional office of Association for Community Development (ACD) in the city on Tuesday for its members with assistance of ACD, ‘Progga’ and Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (CTFK).
The ATMA member journalists of the print, electronic and online media from Rangpur region participated in the meeting with ATMA member and Rangpur Correspondent of the Daily Sangbad Liyakat Ali Badal in the chair.
Project Coordinator of ACD Ehsanul Amin Emon narrated present tobacco cultivation scenario, violation of the amended Tobacco Control Act (TCA), health hazards of smoking in public places and success achieved by ATMA in the anti-tobacco campaign.
Journalist members of ATMA Mahbubul Islam of ATN Bangla, Senior Reporter of BSS Mamun Islam, Senior Reporter of Massranga Television Rafikul Islam Sarker, Staff Reporter of Chanel-I Merina Lovely and SM Piyal of the Rangpur Chitra addressed.
Programme Officer of AACD Asim Sarker Litan, Gaibandha Correspondent of the Sokaler Ananda ABS Litan, Thakurgaon Correspondent of the Dainik Samokal Asaduzzaman Azad, Lalmonirhat Correspondents Khorshed Alam Sagar of the banglanews24.com and Milan Patwari of the Manabjamin also spoke.
The speakers expressed concern over continuous intervention of the tobacco companies in the process of formulation of various laws to discourage tobacco cultivation and consumption of tobacco products.
The journalists should strengthen media reporting against strategies of the tobacco companies, on the threat of using tobacco products and increasing tobacco cultivation, health hazards and stopping of smoking in public places and transports, they said.
They said 156 people are embracing deaths daily in Bangladesh from tobacco related diseases, discussed frequent violation of the amended TCA and role of media for its proper enforcement to improve tobacco control situation for saving human lives.
Putting high emphasis on filing more investigative reports on hazardous impacts of smoking in public places and using tobacco products, they asked the ATMA members for disclosing all these information and slower pace in enforcing the amended TCA.
