|
BATA
is running a series of events to celebrate WNTD and push its demand for
the rapid enactment of a comprehensive and strong tobacco control law in
Bangladesh, and ratification of the FCTC.
As you can see, having an alliance helps make many more activities
possible than if we were acting alone!
On
10 and 14 May, Hunger Project and Hunger-Free World held protests
demanding a tobacco control law.
On
9 May, Adventure Association of Bangladesh held a rally with a banner
draped over a coffin with the slogan:
“Every 8 seconds someone dies from tobacco.
How many more people need to die before we get a law?” The rally was covered in 19 newspapers and two national TV
stations.
On
19 May, MANOBIK and Rotary Club jointly held a program, “Youth
Involvement in Tobacco Control”, which received widespread newspaper
coverage.
On
23 May, Alo Bhuban Gori held a protest demanding a tobacco control law,
which was covered in 19 newspapers.
On
26 May, Work for a Better Bangladesh (WBB) held a press conference calling
for a large increase in tobacco taxes.
The demand received a good deal of extensive coverage in at least
15 newspapers.
Rally on 31 May:
About 20 different organizations will hold a rally in the morning,
marching in Dhaka bearing coffins and crosses from which hang shirts, to
symbolize the dead from tobacco. Pinned
on the shirts will be signs saying “Dead from tobacco”, while a slogan
will say, “No people, only the shirts are there; We make the demand, but
the law is where?” (It
reads a bit more smoothly in Bengali!)
Seminar
on 31 May: In the afternoon a
seminar will be organized by BATA. The
speakers will be the Health Minister, Health Secretary, Director-General
of Health Services, Director-General of Family Planning, the Coordinator
of BATA, the President of the Consumers’ Association of Bangladesh, the
Executive Director of Dhaka Ahsania Mission, and the Country Director of
Hunger-Free World. The Health
Minister will be congratulated and awarded a prize for his role in
chairing the WHA during the approval of the FCTC.
On
6 June, MANOBIK will hold a press meeting to discuss the theme of this
year’s WNTD, using a Powerpoint presentation to illustrate two main
points: the influence of
smoking in the movies on youth, and the fact that smoking in the movies is
indeed a form of advertising. (A
similar program will be carried out by PATH Canada and the Hanoi Health
Department in Vietnam.) We
are happy to share the Powerpoint presentation with anyone interested,
once we finish it!
Radio:
Two radio programs will discuss tobacco; one in the morning on
tobacco and the environment (the effects on air, land, water, and
deforestation), and one in the afternoon on the need for tobacco control
in general. Staff of WBB and
PATH Canada spoke for the radio programs.
TV:
The coordinator of Doctors Against Tobacco (a BATA-assisted new
organization) will have a TV program on the national TV station (BTV) in
the evening, which will feature various people, including the BATA
coordinator and PATH Canada Regional Director, speaking about the need for
tobacco control law, the FCTC, and other issues. The program also includes the Health Minister, State
Minister, other health experts, and popular artists.
|
