World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) will be observed on Wednesday in the country as elsewhere across the world highlighting the health and additional risks associated with tobacco uses, and advocating for effective policies to reduce tobacco consumption, reports BSS.
The theme for World No Tobacco Day 2017 is “Tobacco - a threat to development.”
President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate messages on the eve of the day calling upon all to make united efforts to wage anti-tobacco campaigns across the country to have healthy population to build a developed and prosperous Bangladesh.
The WNTD will be observed in every district across the country while deputy commissioners and civil surgeons of respective districts have already been given directives to observe it.
Besides, different non-government organisations (NGO) and socio-cultural bodies will also organise separate programmes to raise mass awareness against tobacco consumption.
The national newspapers will publish special supplements while Bangladesh Television, Bangladesh Betar and other private TV channels will air special programmes highlighting the harmful effects of tobacco use.
WHO website reads: "WHO is calling on countries to prioritize and accelerate tobacco control efforts as part of their responses to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development."
It said tobacco control has been enshrined in the Sustainable Development Agenda. It is seen as one of the most effective means to help achieve SDG target 3.4 of a one-third reduction globally, by 2030, of premature deaths from non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including cardiovascular disease, cancers and chronic obstructed pulmonary disease.
"Strengthening implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco in all countries is an additional target to be met by governments developing national sustainable development responses," it added.