To reduce tobacco-related diseases and deaths, Ahsania Mission Youth Forum for Health and Wellbeing has called for the swift passage of the Amended Tobacco Control Ordinance 2025 as a law in the upcoming 13th National Parliament.
This demand was raised at the inaugural session of a three-day orientation and planning workshop titled “Tobacco Control Ordinance 2025 and the Way Forward” for Tobacco Control Youth Advocates, held on Monday (26 January 2026) at the Dhaka Ahsania Mission Auditorium in Dhanmondi, Dhaka.
The workshop was organized with the aim of enhancing young leaders’ skills, strategies, and leadership capacity in tobacco control.
Speaking as the chief guest, Md. Akhteruzzaman, Director General (Joint Secretary) of the National Tobacco Control Cell, said that the Government of Bangladesh took a landmark step to protect public health by promulgating the Smoking and Tobacco Products Usage (Control) (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025. He emphasized that passing this ordinance as a law in the next parliament is essential to ensure its sustainability and to reduce the harmful impacts of tobacco. However, for its successful implementation, stronger awareness, skills, and leadership among the youth are urgently needed.
In his remarks as special guest, Md. Ziaul Haque, Additional Director General of the Department of Environment, said that according to Tobacco Atlas 2025, nearly 200,000 people die every year in Bangladesh due to tobacco-related causes. He urged young people to conduct various campaigns to draw the attention of the government formed after the upcoming election so that the ordinance can be enacted into law. He also assured that the Department of Environment would stand beside the youth in any such initiatives.
In the welcome speech, Shariful Islam, Project Coordinator of Dhaka Ahsania Mission, said that anti-tobacco youth advocates have been working successfully against tobacco for a long time. As a continuation of that effort, this workshop has been organized to clearly inform young people about the Tobacco Control Ordinance 2025 and the next steps. He noted that by equipping youth with proper knowledge and tools, it is possible to reduce tobacco use and build a healthy, tobacco-free nation.
The speakers expressed hope that enhancing youth capacity and organizing collective initiatives will play a crucial role in achieving the goal of a tobacco-free Bangladesh. They added that the young leadership emerging from this training will give new momentum to the tobacco control movement, and reiterated their demand for the passage of the Tobacco Control Ordinance 2025 in the 13th National Parliament.
The program was chaired by Dr. S. M. Khalilur Rahman, Vice President of Dhaka Ahsania Mission. Through PowerPoint presentations, Abdus Salam, Humaira Sultana, and Marjana Muntaha, Coordinator of Ahsania Mission Youth Forum for Health and Wellbeing, among others, provided training on the harmful effects of tobacco, tobacco control strategies, leadership development, and the Tobacco Control Ordinance 2025 and the way forward.
