Workshop on Journey Towards Generating Local Evidence: Review Recommendations and Identify Actions

A workshop on Journey Towards Generating Local Evidences: Review Recommendations and Identify Actions was held to review the recommedations of all 104 studies conducted as of 2021. Bangladesh Tobacco Control Research Network (BTCRN) organized the workshop with technical assistance from the Bangladesh Center for Communication Programs (BCCP) on September 21, 2022, at the CIRDAP Auditorium, Topkhana Road, Dhaka. These tobacco control studies were carried out by academics, researchers, tobacco control advocates, and students with funding assistance from Bloomberg Initiative. Participants from diverse backgrounds, including government agencies, non-governmental organizations, academics, researchers, and students, participated in this workshop to identify some critically important activities to reduce tobacco consumption in accordance with existing laws and proposed law amendedment. The workshop was attended by  fifty people, including representatives from the National Tobacco Control Cell, the Bloomberg Initiative, partner organizations and grantees, public and private universities, as well as other non-governmental entities.

Mr. Hossain Ali Khondoker, Coordinator (Additional Secretary), NTCC; Prof. Nasirudding Ahmed, PhD., BRAC Institute of Governance and Development; Mr. Md. Mostafizur Rahman, Lead Policy Advisor, CTFK; Mr. Mohammad Mukhlesur Rahman, Chief Bureau of Health Education, Directorate General of Health Services; and Dr. (Lt. Col) Sarder Mahmud Hossain, Professor and Head of Public Health, Northern University Bangladesh attended as the Guests of Honor. Mr. Mohammad Shahjahan, Director and CEO of BCCP chaired the program.

The workshop was moderated by Mr. Mohammad Shamimul Islam, Secretary General of the Bangladesh Tobacco Control Research Network initiated the meeting by welcoming the guests and participants. A presentation on the Tobacco Control Research Grant Program: Building Research Capacity and Creating Local Evidence was given by Dr. Mahbubus Sobhan, a member of the BTCRN.

After the presentation, a brainstorming session on the recommendations was conducted involving the groups made up of the participants, who then proposed some activities with the timeline and names of the implementing organizations.

There were five groups, and each group's participants were chosen based on their level of competence in the fields of tobacco control and the WHO's MPOWER package. At the end of the group work, the Team Leader of each group presented their findings in the plenary.

Mr. Mohammad Shahjahan, Chairperson of the meeting ended the meeting thanking the participants and guests.