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Tobacco Control Law Pass
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ENVIRONMENT [ NEWS ] |
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World
Environment Day 2003
Ban
on two-stroke three-wheelers at last!
Study
finds 97% of Dhaka students disrupted by horns
Polythene
bags banned in Dhaka from 1st January 2002
Crackdown
on unfit vehicles
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TOBACCO CONTROL [ NEWS ] |
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Pictorial
Warning on Cigarette Packets Demanded
Bangladesh
participation in international treaty on tobacco control
Legal
Victory in Bangladesh
Anti
Tobacco Act soon -
Dr Khandaker Mosharrf
Hossain,
Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Bangladesh
Pakistan
bans all forms of tobacco ads and smoking in public places
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Roads for People [ NEWS ] |
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GENDER [ NEWS ] |
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World Environment
Day,2003 |
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On World Environment Day ,2003(on 5th June) we have exhibited and
distributed our publications in environment fair, organized by the
Ministry of Environment at Osmani Auditorium with the help
of the stall of BAPA.
On the occasion of World Environment Day,2003 two programmes were made
in the magazine programmes named Jubo Taranga and Environment and
Science on Bangladesh Betar.
To control noise pollution Shabdo Duson Protirodh Samannay Committee was
made on September,2002. Its Secretariat is at Work for Better Bangladesh
(WBB). A demonstration and a public meeting were arranged by Shabdo
Duson Protirodh Samannay Committee at the front of National Museum at
Shahbag After finishing the meeting a colorful rally was
performed. The lecturers of the meeting were Proffesor Mojaffar Ahmed,
Dr. Badiul Alam Majumder, Humayan Kabir Hiru, Sirajul Islam Molla, Amit
Ranjan Dey, and Manik Mahood. Most of the newespapers published this
news with a highly importance.
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Pictorial Warning on Cigarette Packets Demanded |
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The
Independent, 3 March 2003, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Work for a Better Bangladesh yesterday demanded inscription of warning
along with photo on the cigarette packets mentioning diseases caused by smoking.
Research officer of the organization Ratan Deb, Syed Mahbubul Alam and
Rafiqul Islam Milon Spoke at a press conference at the Dhaka reporters unity (DRU)
where the research report titled “Tobacco Control Act: Peoples Aspirations’’ was
released.
They Said tobacco product were being produced and marketed in different
countries of the world including Canada and Brazil with pictorial warning on the
packets about the dangers of smoking. They said Thailand was also going to
implement inscription of such warning on cigarette packet from this year.
The Researchers of the organization demanded inscription of health warning
on 50 percent of the space on the packet of cigarette mentioning diseases caused
by tobacco smoking. They also demanded shunning words like “light” “mild”,
low-tar and added that 15 European Union countries have announced stoppage of
misleading words like this.
The researchers in their survey found that 63 percent children
participating in survey had seen cigarette advertisements on the electronic
media, especially television channels, children know the name of cigarette more
than their necessary things, children aged 10 and 11 know the name of Gold leaf
cigarette more then “Meena Cartoon”. They said the survey revealed that the
children know the name of cigarette more than the child right week, Independence
Day, Victory Day and Amar Ehushey International Mother Language day.
Among the 5-year-old children 62 per cent children could not say the date
of mother language day but 34 per cent of then could mention the name of a brand
of cigarette. Though 45 per cent children could not say the date of independence
and National day 85 percent of them could mention the name of a brand of
cigarette. Of those participation in the survey 91 percent of smokers and 97
percent of the non-smokers wanted ban on tobacco advertisement.
The survey found that the adolescents and youth smokers were very
important, as they are the main consumer of tobacco. When a youth chooses a
brand the possibility of his sticking to the brand for rest of the life was very
high. According to the survey most of the smoker did not know that tobacco was
addictive though the tobacco companies also admit it.
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Bangladesh
participation in international treaty on tobacco control |
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Geneva, 17 Feb 2003
Governments from around the world are meeting in Geneva, Switzerland to
discuss an international treaty on tobacco: the Framework Convention on
Tobacco Control (FCTC). Bangladesh is playing an active role in the
negotiations.
The Bangladesh government is represented by the Joint Secretary of Health
and Family Welfare, Dr Selina Ahsan and Deputy Secretary Abdul Haq and
Director of National Cancer Institute Dr. A. S. M Shariful Islam .
Saifuddin Ahmed, Coordinator of the Bangladesh Anti-Tobacco Alliance
present at the negotiations as observer.
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Legal Victory in Bangladesh
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Tobacco control advocates in Bangladesh recently won a
significant victory against the tobacco industry. Advocates filed a writ petition against Imperial Tobacco
(Bangladesh) Limited for their advertising campaign for Thames
cigarettes. The Court called upon the respondents, which included
the Government of Bangladesh, Imperial Tobacco, and the publisher of
advertisements, to show cause as to why the promotional advertisement
activities of Imperial Tobacco (BD) Ltd. should not be declared to be
illegal, and why exemplary damages shall not be awarded which shall be
used for counter advertisement and awareness programs against the use of
tobacco.
The judges also stayed all promotional advertisement activities of
Imperial Tobacco (BD) Ltd. for a period of two months.
At the end of the two months, the stay order was extended
for a further two weeks, despite Imperial Tobacco's claims that the stay
order was unconstitutional.
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Anti Tobacco Act soon -
Dr Khandaker Mosharraf
Hossain |
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Dr Khandaker Mosharrf Hossain, Minister
of Health and Family Welfare, Bangladesh
The Government of Bangladesh plans to
formulate the Anti-Tobacco Act soon, aiming to impose ban of the
advertisement of tobacco. Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. Khandaker
Mosharrf Hossain disclosed this.
He was speaking as chief guest at the 3nd
founding anniversary of Bangladesh Anti-tobacco Alliance at the BARDEM
auditorium on 3 November 2002.
Joint secretary of Ministry of Health
and family Welfare Dr Salina Ahsan and Country representative of the World
Health Organization (WHO)
Sunity Acharia were present as the special guests.
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Pakistan bans all
forms of tobacco ads and smoking in public places
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A recent order
by the Pakistani President declares that all forms of cigarette
advertisement are banned, and that it is prohibited to smoke in public
places in Pakistan. Penalties for disobeying the order are a fine of 1,000
rupees for smoking in public places, and 5,000 rupees for violation of the
order banning advertisement. The fine rises to 1,00,000 rupee and three
months jail for further violation of the rule.
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Ban on two-stroke three-wheelers at last!
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As of the first of January 2003, the noisy,
polluting two-stroke three-wheelers, locally known as baby taxis, have been
banned in Dhaka. A partial ban had removed most of the baby taxis from the
streets several months earlier, but with the implementation of the full ban, the
air quality in Dhaka has improved significantly. In order to respond to
the need for more transportation caused by the ban, as well as on further
restrictions of the movement of bicycle rickshaws, many more buses are now
operating in the capital. Three-wheelers are allowed to operate if they
have four-stroke engines. Many of the new three-wheelers run on CNG, a
further environmental improvement.
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Study finds 97% of Dhaka students disrupted by horns
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A recent report on noise pollution finds that 97%
of students have their studying disrupted by car horns. This report, Noise
Pollution Research and Action, published by Work for a Better Bangladesh,
was released at a press conference on 28 August 2002. Amit Ranjan Dey, Project
Officer, Work for a Better Bangladesh, answered various question from the
journalists. The Secretary General of Bangladesh Environment Movement (BAPA),
Abu Naser Khan, Shirajul Islam Mulla, ED, Sundar Jiban and Ratan Deb were also
present the press conference.
The report includes results from a survey of 2,500 people in
Dhaka, two focus groups, various key informant interviews, and collection of
data on noise pollution limits and levels in Dhaka. The report also includes
many practical suggestions for NGO staff, media, and the Government to work to
reduce noise pollution and make Dhaka a more healthy and livable city.
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Polythene bags banned in Dhaka from 1st January 2002
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A procession against polythene (thin plastic) bag use by Work for a Better
Bangladesh
The
Government of Bangladesh has banned the use of polythene (very thin plastic)
bags in the capital city of Dhaka, effective from 1 January 2002. A
nationwide ban will follow on the 1st of March. Polythene bags have long
been recognized as an environmental and health hazard. Because the bags
are not biodegradable, they pollute the nation's rivers, lakes, and soil.
They also clog drains, contributing to devastating flooding during the monsoon
season. It is reported that there is a 5-6 foot layer of polythene bags on
the riverbed of one major river. The initial reaction to the ban has been
mostly positive, with Dhaka residents turning to the use of jute bags, the
declining "golden fiber" of Bangladesh. The production and disposal of
reusable jute bags do not harm the environment, and the government and NGOs hope
to see people return to the environmentally friendly ways of the past, where
people took jute bags and baskets of assorted local materials with them to
market. It is also hoped that a successful ban in Bangladesh will be an
example to other countries also plagued by the presence of polythene bags.
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Crackdown on unfit
vehicles
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Old,
polluting vehicles are no longer circulating freely on the roads of Dhaka.
From 1 January 2002, the Government of Bangladesh has begun a crackdown on unfit
vehicles, impounding old and heavily-polluting buses, trucks, and tempos.
The capital city awoke to a cleaner and less crowded city, as the usual traffic
jams were almost non-existent thanks to the removal of thousands of vehicles
from the city streets. Completely pollution-free bicycle rickshaws, as
well as other newer and more fit vehicles, circulated more freely on the city's
roads.
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