Reduce tobacco cultivation
Demand speakers at workshop
Speakers at a workshop here yesterday called for combined efforts to reduce tobacco cultivation in Bangladesh.
The workshop titled “Dissemination workshop of National Tobacco Control Cell report on Health and Environmental Impact of Tobacco Cultivation” was organised by Young Power in Social Action, a non-government organisation, at a hotel.
Dr Abu Taher, director of Directorate of Health, Chittagong zone, speaking as the chief guest, said the government alone cannot create awareness against tobacco cultivation.
He said Bangladesh's 43.3 percent population, 58 percent male and 42 percent female, over 15 years of age, consume tobacco products.
Around 53,000 people die in the country every year due to diseases caused by tobacco consumption while 382,000 become lame, he said.
Prof Dr Al-Amin, Department of Forestry and Environmental Science of Chittagong University, urged the government to stop providing tobacco companies subsidised prices of fertilisers, actually meant for farmers.
Prof Dr Salil Chowdhury of National Heart Foundation, Dhaka said tobacco cultivation causes skin and other diseases while tobacco companies capitalise on poverty of farmers.
Farida Akhter, co-ordinator of several NGOs, said some tobacco companies campaign for forestation although they cut a huge number of trees to fuel tobacco leaf drying ovens.
Rasheda Akhter, deputy secretary of Ministry of Health and Family welfare; Civil Surgeon of Chittagong Dr Abu Tayeb; Dr Ikbal Kabir; Saifuddin Ahmed; Ward Councillor Gias Uddin; and Irshad Chowdhury also spoke.
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