Tobacco Control Project
A step towards Tobacco-Free Dhaka
The Tobacco Control Project of Development Activities of Society (DAS) works to make Bangladesh’s public transport smoke-free. It supports the enforcement of the Smoking and Using of Tobacco Products (Control) Act, 2005 and the government’s vision of a tobacco-free Bangladesh by 2040.
Working with the Bangladesh Anti-Tobacco Alliance (BATA), the project began in Dhaka’s bus terminals and has since reached the launch terminals and ferries. It brings together the transport authorities — BRTA, BRTC, DTCA, BIWTA, BIWTC and BMET — bus and launch owners, transport workers, the media and passengers.
This section reports on that work: what each phase achieved and the official orders behind it, our tobacco control policy under FCTC Article 5.3, our publications, and the activities we carry out from day to day.
52% → 35%
Smoking in Dhaka’s public transport (August 2022)
75% → 45%
Water-transport passengers who saw smoking, baseline vs. 2023 study
7
Government bodies issued orders, letters or permissions for smoke-free transport
2,030
Trainee drivers trained on tobacco control at BRTC (680) and BMET (1,350)
Project phases
Project Report (Year-01) First Phase
A step towards Tobacco-Free Dhaka by making all public transport system compliant to Smoke-free law
Bringing Dhaka’s bus terminals and public transport under the smoke-free law: logo permissions and orders from BRTA, BRTC and DTCA, vigilance teams, complaint boxes and a compliance report that found smoking down from 52% to 35%.
Project Report (Year-01) Second Phase
Enforce the Tobacco Control Laws effectively to make Dhaka bus and waterway launch terminals Smoke-free and TAPS-free
Taking the work to the waterways and deeper into road transport: orders and logo permissions from BRTA, BRTC, BIWTA, BIWTC and BMET, driver training, vigilance teams at the launch terminals, and a study that found smoking among water-transport passengers down from 75% to 45%.
Project Report (Year-01) Third Phase
Enforcing Tobacco Control Law 2005 in Bus and Water Transport: Empowering Through Capacity Building and Communication
A new project that builds on the earlier rounds. Its baseline study, in October 2024, surveyed 540 people at bus terminals and river ports in and around Dhaka to see how the smoke-free law is enforced and where the gaps are.
Latest activities
গোয়ালন্দ ঘাট বাজারে ভিজিলেন্স টীমের সাথে আলোচনা সভা
ডেভলপমেন্ট এ্যাকটিভিটিস অফ সোসাইটি – ডাস্ এর উদ্যোগে ৩ ডিসেম্বর ২০২২ গোয়ালন্দ ঘাট বাজারে জনস্বাস্থ্য রক্ষায় সকল ধরণের নৌপরিবহন ও পাবলিক প্লেসে ধূমপান বন্ধের জন্য…
নৌবন্দরে পরোক্ষ ধূমপানের অবস্থা পর্যবেক্ষণে সদরঘাট থেকে চাঁদপুর যাত্রা
০২ নভেম্বর ২০২২ “নৌবন্দরে পরোক্ষ ধূমপানের বর্তমান অবস্থা পর্যবেক্ষণে যাত্রা” শীর্ষক কর্মসূচিটি পালনের উদ্দেশ্যে সদরঘাট থেকে চাঁদপুর পর্যন্ত যাওয়া হয়। এই সময় চাঁদপুর…
চাঁদপুরের জেলা প্রশাসকের সাথে সাক্ষাৎ
নৌবন্দরে পরোক্ষ ধূমপানের বর্তমান অবস্থা পর্যবেক্ষণে গত ০২ নভেম্বর ২০২২ দি ইউনিয়ন এর সহায়তায় বেসরকারি উন্নয়ন সংস্থা ডেভলপমেন্ট এ্যাক্টিভিটিস অফ সোসাইটি -ডাস্ ও…
Project team
Abul Kalam Azad
Founder & Executive Director, Development Activities of Society (DAS)
Has worked on tobacco control projects for 25 years. Life member of the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (Jhenaidah), the Bangladesh National Society for the Blind (BNSB), the National Heart Foundation (Jhenaidah Branch), the Sadar Hospital Patient Welfare Society and the Jhenaidah Public Library. Key qualifications: micro-credit account management (ICAB), monitoring and evaluation (BRAC), managerial and financial management (BRAC), budget and planning (VERC) and managerial management (BNFE), in a total of 25 years of social development experience.
Aminul Islam Bakul
Adviser, Tobacco Control Project
A Dhaka University graduate who has also completed the Tobacco Control Leadership Program of Johns Hopkins University, USA. In the development sector he has worked as Executive Director of AID Foundation and as Research Officer at the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies, as well as in programs on public health, climate change and informal labour.
Dowa Baksh Shaikh
Project Director, Tobacco Control Project
Holds a master’s degree in Physics from Rajshahi University. Has 10 years of experience in tobacco control activities, out of a total of 30 years in the development field, working in different programs with AID Foundation as Program Coordinator and Project Director.
Rupali Khatun
Accounts cum Admin Coordinator
Holds a master’s degree, with an accounts background, and has more than 19 years of experience as an accountant in development organisations, including 6 years in tobacco control projects. As Accounts and Admin officer she has already completed 2 tobacco control projects funded by The Union.
Mohammad Moazzem Hossain
Program Coordinator
Holds a master’s degree in Social Science and has more than 12 years of experience in development organisations, in programs such as HR, admin, advocacy, media campaigns and sensitisation. At DAS he has completed 6 years of tobacco control projects funded by The Union as Senior Program Officer.
Robiul Alam
Program Officer
Holds a master’s degree in Social Science and has more than 10 years of experience in development organisations, in programs such as HR, admin and sensitisation. At DAS he has completed 6 years of tobacco control projects funded by The Union as Accounts & Admin and Program Officer.
SM Mahamudur Rahman
Volunteer
Four years of experience in the Tobacco Control Project, working to control and prevent tobacco use in society.
Sonia Akter
Volunteer
Two years of experience in the Tobacco Control Project, working on tobacco control. She has also completed her graduation.