BANGLADESH

Doctors have urged the government to pass the draft amendment of the tobacco control law to curb use of tobacco and related businesses in the interest of public health.

In the backdrop of nearly 57,000 annual deaths and 382,000 disabilities due to tobacco related illness, the government had started amending the 2005 law two years ago to make it 'stricter'. The idea was to help smokers give up, and deter youths from taking up the habit.

After completing all processes, the draft law was ready to be placed in a cabinet meeting in December last year. But the health ministry's deputy secretary, Azam-e-Sadat, who was assigned the task, said in a meeting late last year that the finance ministry had recalled the draft.

Addressing a seminar on 'tobacco and endangered public health' in the capital on Saturday, national professor brig Abdul Malik (retd) urged everyone to be "persistent" in order to realise the demand for a "stricter" tobacco control law.

United Forum Against Tobacco, a platform of doctors and professional bodies, organised the seminar.

Referring to pressure from the tobacco companies, Malik, chairman of the forum, said, "Our opponents (tobacco companies) are very strong. But we should be persistent in the interest of public health."


MORE TEETH NEEDED
Taifur Rahman, a member of the law amendment committee, said if passed and implemented, the draft amendment could help curb tobacco consumption "substantially".

He said smokeless tobacco products such as zarda, sada pata and gul had been incorporated as tobacco products in the draft law, which also suggested pictorial health warnings to be put up, covering 50 percent of a cigarette packet, to discourage smokers.

He said they also suggested declaring restaurants smoke-free and stopping duty-free shops from selling 'duty-free' cigarettes.

Studies suggest two-third of smokers in Bangladesh pick up the habit before they are 17, so the draft law barred children below 18 to sell and buy cigarettes.

Penalty has been increased from Tk 50 to Tk 500 for individuals who violate the law, while companies will have to pay up to Tk 1 million for violating the law, according to the draft.

Chairman of Bangladesh Red Crescent Society Prof Mohammad Sirajul Akbar MP said the 2005 anti-tobacco law should be updated at the earliest.

"Farmers should be encouraged to cultivate alternative crop instead of tobacco products," he said. "And at the same time, higher taxes should be imposed on tobacco products."

Member of Parliament Prof Matiur Rahman said a "vested group" is active against raising tobacco tax. "Lower economic groups are worst affected because of cheaper prices of bidis (local cigarettes)," he said.

Organising secretary of the forum Dr Sohel Reza Choudhury said a tougher tobacco control law would be able to save thousands of lives, lost untimely to diseases triggered by tobacco.

He said Bangladesh spends more to combat tobacco-related illnesses than it earns in revenue from tobacco producers.


NUMBERS RISE ASTRONOMICALLY
According to Global Adult Tobacco Survey 2009, at least 41.3 million people aged above 15 used tobacco either in smoke or smokeless form in Bangladesh. The number was 32.3 million in 2007.

According to experts, tobacco usage has decreased in developed world but increased in developing countries due to lax tobacco control laws.

Estimation suggests with 5.4 trillion cigarettes consumed, the developing world constitutes about 70 percent of the total global tobacco use.

According to the World Health Organisation, 'very poor' households in countries such as Bangladesh, Indonesia, Mexico and Egypt spend up to 15 per cent of their income on buying tobacco products.

Communications minister Obaidul Quader has said that he would travel the country extensively in the next six months and take measures to repair all the important roads after visiting those.

Quader said this at a views-exchange meeting with the deputy commissioner (DC) and local politicians at Mymensingh Circuit House on Saturday, after reviewing the progress of work to upgrade the Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway into four-lane one.

The communications minister also directed the DCs and superintendents of police (SPs) to stop plying of 'Nosiman', 'Koriman', easy-bikes and other such vehicles on the highways and important roads to avoid accidents and ensure jam-free roads.

He also said the work for four-laning the Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway would be completed by 2013, while the repair works of Mymensingh-Kishoreganj road by June this year.

The minister also said that all the roads in the country would be made fit for vehicular movement even during the rainy season.

Quader visited the Mymensingh-Jamalpur road after the meeting.

Authorities seized over 100 pirated books from the ongoing Amar Ekushey Book Fair on Saturday.

Bangla Academy director general Shamsuzzaman Khan led the drive against pirated books.

"Legal steps will be taken against the stalls where pirated books were found," Khan said.

Publishers said the authorities seized books on cartoon characters like 'Doraemon' and 'Pokemon' and some by Indian writers published without their permission.

Copyright Office's registrar Manzur Rahman said drive would also be conducted even beyond the fair.

Author Zafar Iqbal says that prominent Bangladeshi writers should write more for children in order to stop piracy and unexpected intrusion of foreign books.

"Piracy cannot be checked only by forming laws," he tells in an interview on the premises of Amar Ekushey Book Fair.
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"It will be possible to stop these annoyances if our eminent writers pay attention for children to see if it is possible to offer something better than pirated or foreign books," he says.

The popular author says publishing different types of books for children of different ages might increase their attention and enhance their reading habit.

"Books can captivate children if they have more and colourful pictures. There should be varieties in the books for juvenile readers in line with their choices and the trend of world literature," he says.

"Children will be addicted to television if we fail to do so. It will be dangerous," he warns.

Libraries in schools play an important role in developing reading habit among the children, Zafar Iqbal says adding that school libraries should be richer from both the points of number of collection and varieties.

Six books by the author, who is famous for his science fictions and works for children, have so far arrived the fair. Four of the six are for younger readers.

Tamrolipi published 'Keplar Two Two B', science fiction, Shomoy Prokashoni 'Rup Rupali', a novel for juvenile readers and Pearl Publication brought 'Ratuler Raat Ratuler Din'.

Jagriti Prokashoni brought 'Aro Proshno Aro Uttor', a collection of answers by Zafar Iqbal to questions by children. Ankur Prokashoni published a collection of his column 'Bodonkhani Molin Hole' and Anupam Prokashoni brought 'Kishor Natok Shomogro', a collection of plays for younger readers.

Publishing house Onnoprokash's manager Abdullah Naser has told , "After Humayun Ahmed, books by Zafar Iqbal have been sold best over the last few years."

Zafar Iqbal also emphasised extending space for the book fair.

"The space allocated for this fair needs to be extended so that readers can see and buy books in a relaxed mood. The extension must be done centring the Bangla Academy as the fair and the academy are intermingled by history."

The prices of books are above most of the readers' ability, he says adding that government's affiliation and patronisation is needed in the publication sector.

"The government can patronise the sector in various forms, including providing paper at a lower price and sanctioning money in a large scale so that public libraries can enrich their collection."

If these measures are taken to ensure publishers that their books are sold, they will be able to publish more books, which they usually do not publish in fear of potential loss.

The prime minister has said the ongoing trial of the guilty BDR (now BGB) personnel will be completed despite all hindrances.

Sheikh Hasina was speaking at a meeting organised by Rangabali upazila unit of the party after laying the foundation stone for a new upazila council complex at the newly-formed Rangabali upazila in the district.

Earlier, she reached Rangabali – a char area in the coastal belt – by a helicopter in the morning. She also inaugurated a number of development projects worth about Tk 2 billion.

Referring to the government's efforts to complete the BDR mutiny trial in the shortest possible time, Hasina alleged that main opposition BNP was trying to save the mutineers.

"You may find out who are the defence lawyers ... they are from BNP," she charged.

Saturday was the third anniversary of the mutiny at the para-military force's headquarters, in which at least 73 people, including 57 army officers deputed to the BDR, were killed.

The border guards were known as Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) until 2010 when they were renamed Border Guard Bangladesh. Its uniform, monogram and certain governing laws were also changed with an aim to free the force of the mutiny stigma.

Hasina, also the president of the ruing Awami League, said that development work in the country's southern region takes place only when Awami League comes to power.

"The people of the country's southern region get something when Awami League comes to power. On the other hand, when the BNP comes to power, the country becomes a hotbed of terrorism, loot, extortion and land-grabbing," she added.

Hasina said the district's Sonarchar would also be developed as a tourist spot like Kuakata – a panoramic sea beach on the southern-most tip of Bangladesh.

Recalling that Barisal region was once known as the country's warehouse of food grains, Hasina lamented that the region is currently lagged behind. "The present government is earnestly trying to restore the glorious past of the region."

Claiming that the price of rice has come down to Tk 25 to 30 per kilogramme outside the capital city, the prime minister held rising commodity prices in the international market responsible for the recent price hike in the domestic market.

"No farmer has yet been killed during the tenure of the Awami League government, rather the farmers are being provided with fertilisers," she added.

During the tenure of the BNP government during 1991-96, a total of 17 farmers were killed in police firing during the agitation against poor power supply that hampered farming activities and protest against shortage of fertilisers crops need to be fed to help them grow.

Claiming that a certain quarter was obstructing the ongoing war crimes trial, Hasina said the trial of those who had committed crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War must be held on the Bangla soil.

"The trial of the killers of Bangabandhu has been held and the trial of Aug 21 grenade attack case will also be taken to its logical conclusion," he added.

After the end of the meeting, the prime minister went to Kuakata where she inaugurated 'Jubo Pantho Nibas', a Parjatan Corporation motel and a 20-bed hospital.

She also laid the foundation stone of Kuakata Municipal Bhaban.

Later, she went to Kalapara where she formally opened 50-bed Kalapara Upazila Hospital, upgraded from a 20-bed one.

Hasina also laid foundation stones of three bridges on 22-km-long Kuakata-Kalapara road. The bridges are named after three sons of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman -- Sheikh Kamal, Sheikh Jamal and Sheikh Russel, also her brothers.

The prime minister later addressed a public meeting as the chief guest at Mozahar Uddin Biswas College ground in the afternoon.