Cooperatives Department declared 100% no smoking zone

 
The Department of Cooperatives has been officially declared a 100 percent smoke and tobacco-free institution. The announcement was made by Mohammad Hafizul Haider Chowdhury, Additional Registrar (Administration, Mass Education and Finance), on Thursday (29 January 2026) morning at the Titas Conference Hall of the Department of Cooperatives.

The declaration came during a consultative meeting titled "Declaring All Offices of the Department of Cooperatives as 100% Smoke and Tobacco-Free", jointly organized by the Department of Cooperatives and the Development Organization of the Rural Poor (DORP), as part of efforts to achieve a tobacco-free Bangladesh.

In his remarks as chair, he stated that the declaration was made in accordance with Section 4, Sub-section 1 of the Smoking and Tobacco Products Usage (Control) (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025, which prohibits smoking and the use of tobacco products in all public places and public transport. He emphasized that the harmful effects of smoking are not limited to smokers alone; non-smokers are equally at risk. Since a large number of people visit the Department of Cooperatives every day, making the workplace smoke and tobacco-free would not only protect employees but also ensure that service recipients are safeguarded from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke.