GCC commits to ensure tobacco-free environment across its offices

Gazipur City Corporation (GCC) has made a commitment to ensuring a tobacco-free environment to protect public health and safeguard citizens from the harmful effects of its use.

To achieve this goal, relevant stakeholders will undertake a series of coordinated initiatives to ensure the effective implementation of the relevant provisions of the Smoking and Tobacco Products Usage (Control) Act, 2005 (Amended 2026), as well as to establish tobacco-free environments across all offices of the corporation.

The commitment was made by Md Shawkat Hossain Sarker, the corporation’s administrator.

On Monday, Shawkat expressed this commitment while speaking as the chief guest at a discussion meeting on tobacco control at GCC, jointly organised by GCC and the Development Organisation of the Rural Poor (DORP) at the conference room of Gazipur Nagar Bhaban.

DORP Tobacco Control Project Coordinator Zeba Afroza presented the keynote paper at the meeting. She said that a significant proportion of Bangladesh’s adult population uses tobacco products, while a large number of people are exposed to secondhand smoke in workplaces, public places, and public transport.

According to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) 2017, approximately 37.8 million adults in Bangladesh use tobacco products. The same survey found that approximately 38.4 million adults are exposed to secondhand smoke in workplaces, public places, and public transport.

In percentage terms, 42.7% of adults were exposed to secondhand smoke in indoor workplace areas, 44% in public transport, and approximately 49% in restaurants.

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Secondhand smoke is just as harmful as direct smoking. A study published in The Lancet also found that approximately 1.7 million people worldwide died due to secondhand smoke exposure in 2023.

Secondhand smoke is as harmful to health as direct smoking, making it essential to protect workplaces and public gathering places from its harmful effects.

Zeba Afroza further said that tobacco-related diseases and premature deaths are placing significant pressure on the country’s public health and economy. Approximately 200,000 people die prematurely every year from tobacco-related diseases, while the overall economic loss caused by tobacco use—including healthcare expenditure and productivity losses—is approximately  Tk87,000 crore.

She expressed hope that Gazipur City Corporation’s initiative, considering tobacco control as an important public health priority, could serve as a positive example for other government and private institutions across the country.

The meeting was chaired by Tanzila Khanam, chief executive officer (Joint Secretary) of GCC. She said that the prime minister’s message on the occasion of World No Tobacco Day 2026 stated that the government is committed to protecting children, adolescents and future generations from the harmful effects of tobacco and nicotine.

She further said that the prohibition of smoking and the use of tobacco products in public places and public transport is part of the government’s commitment to achieving this goal.

Speakers at the discussion meeting emphasised that raising public sensitisation about the harmful effects of tobacco, strengthening the institutional capacity of GCC for tobacco control, and ensuring coordinated initiatives among all relevant stakeholders are crucial for creating a tobacco-free and healthy working environment.

They also stressed the importance of ensuring the effective enforcement of relevant laws and regulations.

At the meeting, DORP informed the participants that coordinated initiatives would be undertaken to install public notices, warning signboards, and other necessary materials across all offices of GCC to ensure a tobacco-free environment.

At the same time, various activities will be carried out on a regular basis to ensure a healthy, safe, and tobacco-free workplace for employees.

Officials from different levels of GCC and representatives of DORP were present at the meeting.