Selling tobacco at the passengers vessels have high risk of fire besides health risk, Steps will be taken to stop selling and displaying tobacco at passenger vessels.
Leaders of the Bangladesh Inland Shipping (Passenger Transport) Organization have said this while exchanging views with the Dhaka Ahsania Mission on ‘What to do to amend the Tobacco Control Act’ held at Paltan’s office in the capital on Wednesday.
At present, many passenger vessels continue to display and sell tobacco products freely. As there is no direct obstacle in this regard in the law, the concerned people are not able to take necessary action. The leaders of the organization said that appropriate steps would be taken to stop the sale of tobacco products in passenger vessels.
Bangladesh Inland Shipping (Passenger Transport) Organisation’s senior vice president Alhaj Md. Badiuzzaman Badal presided over the programme while Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids Bangladesh Grants Manager Abdus Salam Mia, Dhaka Ahsania Mission Health Sector Deputy Director Md. Mokhlesur Rahman, Tobacco Control Project Coordinator Md. Shariful Islam, Media Manager Rezaur Rahman Rizvi among others were present.
The exchange of views highlighted several weaknesses in the existing tobacco control laws. At this time Bangladesh Inland Shipping (Passenger Transport) Company Senior Vice President Alhaj Md. Badiuzzaman Badal said that Bangladesh Inland Shipping (Passenger Transport) Corporation has been involved in various anti-tobacco activities even before this. We will continue to be involved in anti-tobacco activities. In particular, we agree to amend the Tobacco Control Act.
At the same time, he said, “The risk of fire remains due to the unrestricted use of tobacco products, especially bidi-cigarettes, in passenger vessels. Therefore, appropriate steps will be taken to stop the sale of tobacco products in passenger vessels. The members of the organization present at the time of his speech supported him.”
