Moulvibazar Correspondent :
A rally and discussion meeting were held on the occasion of World No Tobacco Day in Juri Upazila of Moulvibazar on Tuesday.
The meeting was held at the Upazila Parishad Meeting Room under the chairmanship of UNO Sonia Sultana and Academic Supervisor Md. Alauddin addressed the function as the Chief Guest Upazila Chairman heroic freedom fighter MA Moeed Farooq.
Present as special guests were Upazila Mahila Vice Chairman Ranjita Sharma, Assistant Commissioner (Land) Ratan Kumar Adhikari, Principal of Taibunnesa Khanam Government College Farhad Ahmed, Principal of Shah Nimatra Sagarnal Fultala Degree College Zahir Uddin, Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer Dr. Samarjit Singh, Upazila Awami League General Secretary and Fultala UP Chairman Masuk Ahmed, Police Station OC (Investigation) Abul Kalam, Upazila Agriculture Officer Jasim Uddin, heroic freedom fighter Kulesh Chandra Chando.
Also present on the occasion were Upazila Juba League President Mamunur Rashid Saju, Family Planning Officer Hafiz Mahmud, Purbajuri UP Chairman Obaidul Islam Ruel, Jaifarnagar Acting UP Chairman Sirajul Islam, Goalbari UP Chairman Abdul Qayyum, Upazila Primary Education Officer (Acting) Mohiuddin Bhuiyan, Juri Model Government High School headmaster Shitangshu Shekhar Das, Fultala Bashir Ullah High School headmaster Arman Ali and others.
BSS from Khulna adds: The World No Tobacco Day was observed here on Tuesday as elsewhere in the world highlighting the health and other risks associated with tobacco usage and advocating effective policies to reduce tobacco consumption.
This year’s theme of the day is “Tobacco threat to our environment”. Various anti-tobacco organisations have chalked out elaborate programmes to mark the day. Khulna District Administration brought out a rally from city’s Shaheed Hadis Park which ended at the Collectorate building after parading main streets of the city.
Later, a discussion was held at the Deputy Commissioner’s (DC’s) conference room here.
Deputy Commissioner Md Moniruzzaman Talukder addressed the meeting as the
chief guest with Additional Deputy Commissioner Pulak Kumar Mondal in the chair.
Civil Surgeon Dr Sujat Hossain, Additional Deputy Commissioner Sadekur Rahman, Additional Superintendent of Police Sushanta Kumar, District Education Officer Ruhul Amin also spoke on the occasion.
Government officials, NGO personnel, health workers, teachers, students, among others, attended the meeting.
Speakers said tobacco has massive harmful effects on health and environment.
“Cigarette and biri smoking is one of reasons for indoor air pollution,” they said, adding that tobacco consumption and smoking increase risk for cardiac arrest, stroke, cancer, diabetes, asthma and different non-communicable diseases.
Noting that smoking is called entrance to the drug abuse, the chief guest said tobacco consumption and smoking push young people towards drug addiction and make them burdens of family and state.
Putting highest priority on public health, the government has formulated the
‘Smoking and Tobacco Products Usage (Control) Rule’ in 2015 after amending
the ‘Smoking and Tobacco Products Usage (Control) Act, 2005’, he said.
“Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced that tobacco would be eliminated from
Bangladesh by 2040. In this regard, ensuring of proper implementation of
tobacco control laws and regulations is very important,” he mentioned.
The DC hoped that present government will be able to make a tobacco-free
country with united efforts of all to build a Sonar Bangla as dreamt by
Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
