<div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On 13 April 2025, Gazipur City Corporation officially issued an order to make all its offices, departments, branches, and regional centres completely smoke-free. The order was signed and approved by Abdul Latif Khan, Joint Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the City Corporation.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This announcement came during a seminar held at the Gazipur City Corporation auditorium, organized by the Corporation with support from the Development Organisation of the Rural Poor-DORP. The seminar aimed to strengthen tobacco control efforts in Gazipur as part of the broader goal of achieving a tobacco-free Bangladesh.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In his speech, the Chief Executive Officer urged all relevant authorities to take immediate action to implement the order. He also expressed his strong desire to declare not just the City Corporation’s offices, but the entire Gazipur city, smoke-free in the near future.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Speaking as a special guest, Dr. Md. Mamunur Rahman, Civil Surgeon of Gazipur, emphasized the need to protect young people from starting smoking. He stressed that youth must be discouraged from smoking, and the message should be amplified through various forms of media, including print, electronic, and social media.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The keynote paper was presented by Rubina Islam, Program Coordinator of the DORP Tobacco Control Project. She thanked the Chief Executive Officer for taking such a public-friendly step and outlined six key proposals aligned with the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) and amendments proposed by the Ministry of Health. These proposals include removing designated smoking areas from all public places and transports, banning the display of tobacco products at points of sale, stopping tobacco companies from conducting CSR activities, taking measures to protect youth from e-cigarettes, banning the open sale of tobacco products, and increasing the size of pictorial health warnings on tobacco packaging from 50% to 90%.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The seminar was conducted by Rubel Mahmud, Acting Secretary of Gazipur City Corporation. Participants in the seminar discussed the health risks of tobacco and emphasized the importance of enforcing tobacco control laws. They urged the government to implement the proposed amendments and highlighted the necessity of strengthening tobacco control regulations to protect public health.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">DORP, known for pioneering the maternity allowance scheme, has been actively involved in development initiatives since 1987. In recent years, DORP has been focusing on strengthening tobacco control laws and advocating for increased tobacco taxes and prices, contributing to the achievement of the government’s sustainable development goals.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>