National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh

A view exchange meeting was held on 26th October 2015 at the conference room at secretariat regarding tobacco control measures in Bangladesh. Mr. Mohammad Nasim, Honorable Minister, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Peoples’ Republic of Bangladesh had presided over the meeting. Representatives from National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh, Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids (CTFK), Bangladesh, UBINIG & Dhaka Ahsania Mission was also participated in this meeting. In the meeting Honorable Minister has given the direction to the National Tobacco Control Cell (NTCC) to take the necessary measures for formulation of a national tobacco control policy to accelerate and strengthen the tobacco control activities in Bangladesh. Mr. Saber Hossain Chowdhury, MP, President, Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU) and Convener, Tobacco Free Bangladesh Platform said, SDG 3, out of 17 goals with 169 targets, focuses on health, and in it accelerated implementation of the FCTC is recognized as one of the “means of implementation” to reach the goal and a target on non-communicable diseases (NCDs). In this view exchanging meeting, all the participants shared their opinion in a unique voice that, to make Bangladesh tobacco free, formulation of an overarching tobacco control policy is very much important step which will guide the overall activities in tobacco controlling measures. The electronic media BTV and several print media have made big coverage regarding this view exchange meeting.