The Department of Cooperatives has been officially declared a 100 percent smoke and tobacco-free institution.
The announcement was made by Mohammad Hafizul Haider Chowdhury, additional registrar (Administration, Mass Education and Finance), on Thursday morning at the Titas Conference Hall.
The declaration was issued during a consultative meeting titled “Declaring All Offices of the Department of Cooperatives as 100% Smoke and Tobacco-Free,” an initiative jointly organised by the department and the Development Organisation of the Rural Poor (DORP) as part of the national drive for a tobacco-free Bangladesh.
Presiding over the event, Hafizul stated that the declaration follows Smoking and Tobacco Products Usage (Control) (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025, which prohibits smoking and tobacco use in all public places and public transport.
He emphasised that the harmful effects of smoking impact both smokers and non-smokers. Given the high daily footfall at the department, he noted that making the workplace smoke-free would safeguard both employees and service recipients from second-hand smoke.
During the meeting, AHM Noman, founder and chief executive of DORP, delivered the welcome address.
Coordinator of the Tobacco Control Project Zeba Afroza presented the keynote paper, citing GATS 2017 data. The report revealed that 38.4 million adults in Bangladesh are exposed to second-hand smoke daily in public places and workplaces.
Furthermore, nearly 42.7 percent of adults are exposed in covered workplaces, and more than 61,000 children under the age of 15 suffer from diseases caused by second-hand smoke.
The session was moderated by Deputy Registrar Shakila Haque. Other speakers included Zebun Nahar, additional registrar (Cooperative Management), and Md Azhar Ali Talukdar, former secretary.
Participants called for the 13th National Parliament to pass the amended Tobacco Control Ordinance 2025 into law to reduce tobacco-related deaths and diseases. They also urged political parties to include tobacco control issues in their election manifestos and campaign activities. Following the discussion, anti-smoking and anti-tobacco signboards and stickers were installed at key locations across the Department of Cooperatives.
