Project Report (Year-01) Second Phase
Round-31 · Project ID BANGLADESH 31-06
Project
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%.
16 key achievements13 documents
75% → 45%
Water-transport passengers who saw smoking, baseline vs. compliance study
33% → 76%
Water-transport staff aware of the tobacco control law
680 + 1,350
Trainee drivers trained on tobacco control at BRTC and BMET
Tk 6 lakh
Opened as the BMET Anti-Tobacco Campaign Award fund
About this phase
Round-31 took the work further, to make Dhaka’s bus and waterway launch terminals smoke-free and free of tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship (TAPS).
On the roads, BRTA agreed at a consultation meeting with DAS and BATA in March 2022 to run mobile courts on tobacco and to put tobacco control into drivers’ training. BRTC and BMET trained 680 and 1,350 trainee drivers, and BMET declared its offices smoke-free and set up an annual anti-tobacco award.
On the waterways, the Ministry of Shipping wrote to BIWTA (May 2023), BIWTA and BIWTC allowed their logos to be used on campaign material, vigilance teams were formed at Sadarghat and Paturia–Daulatdia, and BIWTC ordered a stop to the sale of tobacco on ferries (June 2024). Trans Silva, ENA and Itihash, the three largest public transport companies, banned smoking on their buses.
The compliance study found that smoking among water-transport passengers had fallen from 75% to 45%.
Key achievements
16- 2022
- 29 March 2022BRTA
BRTA initiated mobile courts on the tobacco issue. A consultation meeting organised by DAS, BATA and BRTA also decided to put the harms and penalties of smoking into drivers’ training and to review adding tobacco control to the Road Transport Act 2018.
BRTA meeting decision, 29 March 2022PDF - 15 November 2022BIWTA
BIWTA granted permission to use its logo on anti-smoking stickers and other campaign material, for the Dhaka, Aricha and Daulatdia river ports.
BIWTA memorandum, 15 November 2022PDF - 24 November 2022Launch terminals
Vigilance teams were formed at the Sadarghat launch terminal and the Paturia–Daulatdia ferry ghat.
- 27 December 2022BRTA
BRTA amended section 49 of the Bangladesh Road Transport Act 2018 regarding the consumption of alcohol or intoxicating substances by drivers.
- 29 December 2022BRTC
BRTC included tobacco issues in its training programme; 680 trainee drivers had been trained to date.
- 2023
- 22 May 2023Ministry of Shipping
The Ministry of Shipping issued a letter to BIWTA urging it to adhere to the Tobacco Control Law.
Ministry of Shipping letter, 22 May 2023PDF - 14 June 2023BIWTC
BIWTC granted permission to use its logo on stickers, leaflets, posters and other anti-tobacco campaign material.
BIWTC memorandum, 14 June 2023PDF - 16 August 2023BMET
BMET directed its driving-training centres to screen DAS’s anti-tobacco awareness video in their driving courses (110 training centres). 1,350 trainee drivers had been trained on tobacco control to date.
BMET office order, 16 August 2023PDF - 1 September 2023BMET
BMET declared its head office and all its establishments smoke-free, and decided to give annual awards to trainers who do good anti-tobacco work.
BMET meeting decision, 14 September 2023PDF - 3 September 2023BMET
BMET opened a savings account named “BMET Anti-Tobacco Campaign Award” (Tk 6 lakh) to reward exemplary non-smokers and to fund anti-tobacco campaigns every year.
BMET letter to Sonali Bank, 3 September 2023PDF - 15 October 2023BIWTC
BIWTC approved a meeting resolution prohibiting the use and sale of tobacco inside ferries.
- 2024
- 15 January 2024ENA Paribahan
ENA Paribahan, one of the three largest public transport companies, banned smoking on its buses through an office notice.
ENA Paribahan notice, 15 January 2024PDF - 19 February 2024Trans Silva
Trans Silva, one of the three largest public transport companies, banned smoking on its buses through an office notice.
Trans Silva notice, 19 February 2024PDF - 2024Itihash Paribahan
Itihash Paribahan, the third of the three largest public transport companies, banned smoking on its buses through an office notice.
- 20 May 2024DAS
The compliance monitoring report found that smoking among water-transport passengers had fallen from 75% (baseline) to 45%. Among transport staff, awareness of the tobacco control law rose from 33% to 76%, and awareness of the effects of secondhand smoke from 33% to 80%.
Compliance study report, December 2023PDF - 6 June 2024BIWTC
BIWTC issued an office order to stop the use and sale of tobacco on ferries and in ferry terminals, with no-smoking signs at its offices and anti-tobacco stickers on ferries — following a joint meeting with DAS and BATA.
BIWTC office order, 6 June 2024PDF
Documents & reports
2
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