An Analysis of the Anti-Tobacco Laws in Bangladesh
Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of morbidity and death. It is the global public health concern. In Bangladesh it is related to the tradition and also consider as a taboo of the society, that’s why people are not conscious about the harmful effects of the tobacco. The women, children and aged people are in high risk of the probable effects of tobacco. The cultivation of the tobacco also damage, displaced and unfertile the soil and putting harmful effects on environment, economy and social norms. There different patterns of tobacco as smoked or smokeless tobacco consumption (SLT). The urban people a little bit concern about the smoked tobacco rather than smokeless tobacco and the rural people have no idea about the harmful effects on smoked and smokeless tobacco. In rural areas it’s the tradition of smokeless tobacco consuming. The passive smoking also put the non-smoker specially child and aged person in high health risk. To prevent such situation Bangladesh signed the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in 2003 and ratifies in 2004 respectively and enacted laws such as “Smoking and Tobacco Products Usage (Control) Act 2005 (Amendment 2013) and related rules in 2015 as “The Smoking and Tobacco products Usage (Control) Rules 2015 and also includes some other Metropolitan Acts. The HC Division also banned the advertisement of all forms of tobacco and tobacco products by the case of Pro. Nurul Islam case (2000). This dissertation analysis the harmful effects of the tobacco usages and smoked and smokeless tobacco on Public Health, Social and Environment. This dissertation analysis the present status of tobacco control in Bangladesh and existing laws regarding to the tobacco control in Bangladesh as well. This research also examines the leading case – Prof. Nurul Islam Case for the banning of the advertisement of tobacco products as well as landmark guidelines from the High Court Division. This dissertation also analysis the loopholes of existing anti-tobacco laws in Bangladesh as well as the comparison of the legal provisions existing laws with the Indian existing laws. This dissertation also examines the activities of the government and different kinds of NGOs in Bangladesh. And lastly fifth and sixth chapter deals with the findings and recommendations that need to be implemented.