Call to restrict tobacco companies from luring farmers

RANGPUR, May 10 (BSS): Speakers at a regional meeting today asked media workers for playing vital role in restricting the tobacco companies from luring innocent farmers in harmful tobacco cultivation to save public health from catastrophes.
As the anti-tobacco campaign has been spreading fast, tobacco companies are changing their strategies to interfere in the policy-making process to inspire farmers in increasing tobacco cultivation confining them in chasing after lucrative profits, they said.
The Anti Tobacco Media Alliance (ATMA) organised the meeting at regional office of Association for Community Development (ACD) in the city for its members with assistance of ACD, 'Progga' and Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (CTFK).
The ATMA member journalists of the print, electronic and online media from Rangpur division and Joypurhat district participated in the meeting with ATMA member and Staff Reporter of Channel-i Merina Lovely in the chair.
Project Coordinator of ACD Ehsanul Amin Emon narrated tobacco cultivation scenario, violation of the amended Tobacco Control Act (TCA), health hazards of smoking in public places and success achieved by ATMA in the anti- tobacco campaign.
Journalist members of ATMA Mahbubul Islam of ATN Bangla, Senior Reporter of BSS Mamun Islam, Harunur Ar Rashid Badal, Kashi Kumar Das, ABS Litan, Majedur Rahman, Ali Ashraf, Mahbub Rahman, Moynul Islam, SM Piyal, Abdul Wahed, Khorshed Alam Sagar, Sultan Ahmed, Asaduzzaman Asad, Asaduzzaman Afzal, addressed among others.
The speakers expressed concern over continuous intervention of the tobacco companies in formulation of anti-tobacco laws with an 'unfair motive' of hindering the process of discouraging tobacco cultivation and consumption of tobacco products.