Bidi-cigarettes and all kinds of tobacco products are harmful for health. Owners of tobacco companies are opposing high taxation on bidi-cigarettes arguing over job loss. Spread of tobacco use benefits tobacco companies and hurts workers, consumers and the country as well. It is urgent to form a fund for arranging alternative employment for the workers of the tobacco companies. Imposing high tax on tobacco products and using a portion of it to frame a fund is to be created as soon as possible. Public leaders, government officials and political parties should be careful so that companies can not spread life threatening tobacco market basing on the fake argument of employment loss. Speakers opined the above in a demonstration organized by Bangladesh Tamak Birodhi Jote and WBB Trust at 11.00 am in 29 May 2011.

Speakers said that saving public health and environment is the responsibility of the public leaders. They are bound to accomplish the constitutional duties without being inspired by any anger and emotions. But several tobacco company owners are using their sacred duties as tools of their business and perplexing the government. Allowing any flexible terms for tobacco business means allowing them to continue the deaths and disabilities. No national company should be allowed to increase such deaths. National and foreign tobacco companies should be regulated strictly to control tobacco. 

Calling upon the public leaders (MPs), the speakers said that food price, transportation fare and house rent should be reduced for common people. So Mps should send DO letters to reduce price of the necessary items instead of sending DO letters for reducing price of tobacco products.

Speakers said that tobacco kills 57,000 people every year and make 3, 82,000 people disabled with a net loss of 11,000 crore taka per year.  Tobacco companies are responsible for the deaths and revenue loss. Government should be careful so that no foreign and national tobacco company can take advantages arguing over employment loss. Nothing can be important than people’s life. Our constitution never agrees with spreading harmful products like tobacco. And it is responsibility of MPs to save public health and we call upon them to undertake initiatives to promote public health by taking decision on people’s part instead of tobacco companies.  

The program was convened by Rakibul Islam Ripon and was addressed by Mamunur Rashid Radib of Hunger Project, Syed Mahbubul Alam, policy analyst and secretary of Bangladesh Tamak Birodhi Jote, Shuvo Roy, official of AID, Shazeda Begum Saju, of SAAS, Mustafizur Rahman Mukta, representative of Youth Ending Hunger, Bangladesh,