Our achievement(?) in smoking!
A press report from Geneva, published in a local English daily on May 31, ranks Bangladesh among the top ten tobacco smoking countries! If use of chewing tobacco was included, we could well have ranked among the top five!
Frankly it is not an achievement to be proud of.
In contrast, we are bracketed among the bottom countries in terms of per capita income. The combination of top and bottom; both in the wrong places, gives us a dubious reputation. Too poor to buy enough food, yet indulging in tobacco smoking; an outright disgusting habit!
The CTG despite all its sound and fury has not done anything positive towards containing smoking! This is an area, where harsh positive action would have been appreciated by the people. The CTG however is totally indifferent to this real issue; having all the authority, but no moral responsibility for this civic duty. All its efforts (how far successful?)
Is directed against bribe takers (police and such like excluded) and politicos of different parties. Elsewhere it is inaction at best; while murder, robbery, mugging and such crimes are going up and up!
Just for curiosity; are the CTG meetings non-smoking? Has smoking been stopped in all government and public sector offices? On budget; why not drastically increase duties and taxes on the tobacco sector like cigarette and biri manufacture? At least this will result in a dent in the profits of the sector responsible for directly and indirectly spreading diseases among the people of the country.
The CTG must do something positive to stop or reduce this evil habit of smoking, that affects both smokers and non-smokers alike. This will set a good example for the future government. The popular saying is; "If there is a will, there is a way". Does the CTG have the will for this deed?
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