Mobile Court Operation at Mohakhali Bus Terminal Enforces Tobacco Control Law

The Dhaka District Administration conducted an important mobile court operation at Mohakhali Bus Terminal and surrounding areas to enforce compliance with the Smoking and Tobacco Products Usage (Control) (Amendment) Act 2026. Led by Ms. Saifunnahar, Assistant Commissioner and Executive Magistrate of Dhaka District Administration, the operation focused on inspecting public transport vehicles to verify compliance with tobacco control requirements. The mobile court mechanism represents an efficient and effective approach to identifying violations and taking swift legal action, ensuring that tobacco control laws are not merely symbolic but are actively enforced to protect public health.

During the monitoring and inspection process, the team systematically examined public transport vehicles operating at and around Mohakhali Bus Terminal, one of Dhaka's major transportation hubs serving thousands of passengers daily. The inspection team identified two United Paribahan buses that failed to meet legal requirements for displaying visible anti-smoking signage. The Smoking and Tobacco Products Usage (Control) (Amendment) Act 2026 explicitly requires public transport operators to display prominent "No Smoking" signs informing passengers of the prohibition on smoking and tobacco use in public transport. This signage requirement serves important functions: it informs passengers of the smoke-free requirement, it demonstrates operator commitment to compliance, and it helps establish and reinforce social norms supporting smoke-free public transport.

Following identification of these violations, legal action was promptly taken against the responsible persons under Section 8 of the Smoking and Tobacco Products Usage (Control) (Amendment) Act 2026. Each of the two United Paribahan buses was issued a fine of BDT 5,000, totaling BDT 10,000. The imposition of meaningful financial penalties creates important incentives for transport operators to ensure compliance with tobacco control requirements. Transport operators, motivated by both legal obligations and the desire to avoid financial penalties, are more likely to invest in obtaining proper signage, educating drivers and staff, and implementing monitoring systems to ensure ongoing compliance.

The legal framework governing tobacco control in public transport requires public transport operators to fulfill multiple obligations. Beyond the prohibition on smoking and tobacco use, which applies to all persons in public transport, operators must take affirmative steps to enforce this prohibition. The requirement to display visible anti-smoking signage is one such affirmative obligation. Operators must also ensure that their staff understand and support the tobacco control requirement and are prepared to address passenger violations politely but firmly. The failure to display required signage, as identified in this operation, represents a breach of the operator's affirmative legal obligations regardless of whether actual smoking violations occurred.

Sub-Inspector Md. Sohel Rana of the Tejgaon Commercial Area Police, Dhaka Metropolitan Police, attended the mobile court operation as the prosecutor, representing the law enforcement perspective. The presence of police prosecutors in mobile court operations ensures that legal procedures are properly followed and that penalties are imposed within the authority of law. Representatives of the Tobacco Control Project were also present during the operation, reflecting civil society engagement in monitoring and enforcement. This combination of government magistrate, police prosecutor, and civil society representatives demonstrates the multi-stakeholder approach needed for effective tobacco control implementation. Each participant brings distinct expertise and authority: the magistrate provides judicial authority, the police prosecutor ensures proper legal procedures, and civil society representatives contribute advocacy expertise and help ensure that enforcement serves broader public health goals.

Officials involved in the operation emphasized the critical importance of regular mobile courts and systematic monitoring for protecting public health and maintaining smoke-free public transport. The enforcement operation serves multiple important purposes. First, it ensures that tobacco control laws are not merely written requirements but are actively enforced with real consequences for violations. Second, it sends a clear message to transport operators that compliance is expected and violations will result in penalties. Third, it demonstrates government commitment to tobacco control implementation, which can influence social norms and increase voluntary compliance. Fourth, it contributes to the accumulation of evidence regarding compliance levels and common violations, which can inform future policy refinement and enforcement strategy.

The operation at Mohakhali Bus Terminal is consistent with a broader pattern of enforcement activities being conducted across Dhaka's transport sector. A previous mobile court operation at Sadarghat, where water transport launches operate, identified similar violations of the "No Smoking" signage requirement. Two launches were each fined BDT 5,000 for failing to display required signage, and one individual was fined for actual smoking in violation of the prohibition. The total penalties from the Sadarghat operation amounted to BDT 10,000. These repeated enforcement operations demonstrate that violations of tobacco control requirements in public transport are not isolated incidents but reflect systematic compliance challenges that require sustained enforcement attention.

Officials involved in the enforcement activities emphasized their commitment to continuing similar mobile court operations and monitoring activities going forward. The Dhaka District Administration and its law enforcement partners recognize that one-time enforcement operations, while important, are insufficient to achieve sustained behavioral change and compliance. Rather, regular, repeated enforcement activities are necessary to establish consistent expectations, maintain pressure for compliance, and allow violators to understand that violations will have consequences. The commitment to continued enforcement activities sends an important signal that tobacco control implementation is a sustained institutional priority rather than a temporary campaign.

The enforcement operations are expected to have significant positive impacts on tobacco control implementation in public transport. When transport operators understand that violations will be detected and penalized, they are more likely to invest in proper signage, train their staff, and implement monitoring systems. When passengers observe that signage is displayed and that rules are being enforced, they are more likely to respect the smoke-free requirement. When transport workers understand that management is committed to enforcing tobacco control, they are more likely to actively support compliance. These cascading effects demonstrate how consistent law enforcement can support the development of genuine compliance behavior and smoke-free norms throughout the transport sector.

The mobile court operations also contribute to building the evidence base for tobacco control implementation. Each enforcement action generates data about the types of violations occurring, the frequency of violations, and the characteristics of violators. Over time, this data can reveal patterns that can inform targeted enforcement strategies and help identify particular transport operators or routes requiring intensive monitoring. The data can also be used to develop case studies demonstrating effective enforcement approaches that can be replicated in other locations.

Looking forward, officials and civil society partners are committed to scaling up enforcement activities to reach more transport operators and create wider compliance. Similar mobile court operations are planned for other major bus terminals, launch stations, and transport hubs across Dhaka. The goal is to create a system of regular, consistent enforcement that makes clear to all transport stakeholders that tobacco control requirements will be actively monitored and violations will have consequences. When this level of consistent enforcement is combined with public awareness campaigns and capacity building for transport operators, it creates conditions for sustained progress toward truly smoke-free public transport.