Human chain organized demanding stronger tobacco control laws

The DORP Youth Forum has called for the swift passage of the proposed amendment to the Tobacco Control Law formulated by the Ministry of Health, emphasizing that this amendment is essential to protect public health. The youths stated that urgent action is needed to save the next generation from the devastating grip of tobacco. During a human chain organized by the Development Organization for the Rural Poor (DORP) Youth Forum in Mirpur-10, Dhaka on Thursday, the youth participants reiterated their demand for the immediate adoption of the amendment.

Addressing the Chief Adviser, the young anti-tobacco activists urged that the draft amendment should be given top priority and approved without further delay. Citing data from the Tobacco Atlas 2025, they noted that tobacco-related diseases claim approximately 130,000 lives annually in Bangladesh-an average of 357 deaths per day-while millions more suffer from various illnesses.

Organizers of the human chain stated that tobacco use causes an economic loss of nearly BDT 392 billion each year.