BTCRN and BCCP Participated in the WNTD Rally and Seminar

On 31st May 2024, Bangladesh National Tobacco Control Cell (NTCC) in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and other organizations working on tobacco control, organized a colorful rally followed by a seminar to mark the “World No Tobacco Day 2024. The seminar was held at the Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Convention Hall, Dhaka. This year’s celebration theme was ‘Protecting children from tobacco industry interference’.

Dr. Samanta Lal Sen, Minister, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare graced the occasion as the Chief Guest while Mr. Md. Jahangir Alam, Secretary, the Health Services Division, Ministry of Health, and Family Welfare chaired the program. Dr. Md. Ziauddin, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Health, and Family Welfare and Program Director of NTCC; and Dr. Bardan Jung Rana, WHO Representative to Bangladesh attended the program as Special Guests. Around 800 participants representing the relevant Government officials, BI partners and grantees, in-country tobacco control organizations, students and faculties of the different universities and nursing institutes attended the program.

Colleagues of BCCP and members of BTCRN attended the rally and arranged a stall in the auditorium to showcase their tobacco control activities. A huge number of participants and guests including the minister visited the stall. The visitors liked the activities, especially the Tobacco Control Policy Research Grant Program, and enthusiastically collected materials such as infographics, factsheets, brochures, and abstract booklets. Videos for the standard packaging of smokeless tobacco and removal of Designated Smoking Areas (DSAs) were also demonstrated in the stall.