Dhaka’s Divisional Commissioner Sharaf Uddin Ahmed Chowdhury chaired a discussion titled “Steps to Ensure 100% Smoke-Free Hotels and Restaurants for Public Health Protection”. Photo: Collected

DHAKA, June 29, 2025 (BSS) – A group of owners of hotels and restaurants today urged the government to withdraw provisions allowing smoking zones in food outlets to ensure cent smoke-free environment by amending the existing tobacco control law.

They made the call at a discussion titled “Steps to Ensure 100% Smoke-Free Hotels and Restaurants for Public Health Protection”, organized by Dhaka Ahsania Mission (DAM) at Dhaka Divisional Commissioner’s office.

A DAM spokesman said some 85 hotel and restaurant owners joined the event while a press release of the voluntary organization said the participants observed the ban was crucial to ensure a healthy environment specially for women and children.

They pointed out that even when a specific area is designated for smoking, smoke spreads to adjacent areas, putting non-smokers at risk which required a complete ban on smoking in restaurants to protect non-smokers from being passive smokers.

Dhaka’s Divisional Commissioner Sharaf Uddin Ahmed Chowdhury chaired the discussion where the owners of BFC, Chilies, Sultan Dines and Bagicha were present among the fellow outlet proprietors.

DAM’s Tobacco Control Project Coordinator Shariful Islam presented a keynote paper at the discussion pointing out that Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) found 19.2 million people in Bangladesh smoke, and around 40 million non-smokers are exposed to secondhand smoke.

GATS data reveals that 49.7 percent of people are exposed to secondhand smoke in restaurants while such passive smoking increases risks of heart disease among non-smokers by up to 85 percent.

He further mentioned that although Section 5 of the existing law prohibits all forms of tobacco advertisement, 73 percent of restaurants in Dhaka still display promotional materials in their smoking zones.

Among the key speakers were additional divisional commissioner Azmal Hossain and along with the hotel and restaurant owners and their representatives while the welcome speech was delivered by DAM’s Health Sector deputy director Mukhlesur Rahman,.