To ensure a healthy environment for children, women and the elderly in hotels and restaurants, there is no alternative to the revised Tobacco Control Act, Khulna Division hotel and restaurant owners said.

In the seminar organized by Advancement of Hotel and Restaurant (Ahar) Bangladesh in collaboration with Dhaka Ahsaniya Mission and Advancement of Hotel and Restaurant (Ahar) Bangladesh in the meeting room of Frozen Food Exporters Association in Khulna on February 13th morning, they also said that the tobacco control law should be passed quickly to cancel the provision of smoking zone in hotels and restaurants.

Non-smokers are exposed to secondhand smoke due to the smoke coming out of the restaurant even though there is a designated area for smoking. There is no way to free them from the effects of smoking. The speakers also said that their risk of heart disease is increasing up to 85% as a result of indirect smoking.

Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) S. M. Munim Lincoln said that young people are taking advantage of the smoking zone in restaurants. To protect their health, it is important to make laws to abolish smoking zones. I think that the amendments to the Tobacco Control Act proposed by the Ministry of Health will play a role in creating a tobacco-free Bangladesh by the year 2040 announced by the Honorable Prime Minister.

Bangladesh Restaurant Owners Association Khulna Metropolitan Committee Secretary Shyamal Kumar Ghosh said in his welcome speech that the prevalence of cancer is increasing due to smoking. Second-hand smoke has the same health risks. Smoking in restaurants should be banned to avoid this risk.

Joint Organizing Secretary of Bangladesh Restaurant Owners Association and Jessore District Secretary Alhaj Sheikh Mukul Hossain said that the amended Tobacco Control Act proposed by the Ministry of Health should be passed quickly to bring all hotels and restaurants under the 100% smoking ban.

Bangladesh Restaurant Owners Association Bagerhat district committee president Sheikh Mostafizar Rahman said, none of the restaurant owners want smoking inside the restaurant. Therefore, a law should be made soon to ban smoking zones in hotels and restaurants.

Alhaj Niamat Ali, president of Magura district committee, Nitai Chandra, secretary of Jhenaidah district committee, Abdur Rob Molla, president of Narail committee, Shah Alam, president of Satkhira district, etc. participated in the free discussion and gave their opinion in favor of canceling the smoking zone.

Vice President of Bangladesh Restaurant Owners Association and Executive Director of Ahar Bangladesh M. Rezaul Karim Sarkar Robin said that to protect public health from the harm of indirect smoking, all hospitality sectors, including hotels and restaurants, should be completely smoke-free.

Former President of Khulna Press Club and representative of ATN Bangla Habibur Rahman said that the proposal to cancel the smoking zone is good and helpful for a smoke-free environment.

Vice-President of Bangladesh Frozen Food Exporters Association S. Humayun Kabir said, to ensure a hundred percent smoke-free environment, it is inappropriate to keep any kind of smoking system in the restaurant. So it should be repealed by law.

Iqbal Masood, Director of Health and Wash Sector of Dhaka Ahsaniya Mission, said in his speech that it is the civil right of non-smokers to be protected from the harm of second-hand smoke. Existing tobacco control laws include restaurants as public places as well as provisions for 'designated smoking places'. Which is a hindrance in keeping public places 100% smoke free.

Md. Shariful Islam, Coordinator of Tobacco Control Project of Dhaka Ahsania Mission, presented the keynote at the event. In the article, he said, 3 crore 84 lakh people are indirectly affected by smoking in Bangladesh. About 50 percent of people are exposed to second-hand smoke in restaurants alone.

Vice President of Bangladesh Restaurant Owners Association and Ahar, Executive Director of Bangladesh M. 70 leaders of 10 districts of Khulna Division of Bangladesh Restaurant Owners Association were also present in the program chaired by Rezaul Karim Sarkar Robin and moderated by Dum Program Officer Sharmin Akhtar Rini.

Leaders of Khulna Division Hotel-Restaurant Business Association urged the concerned parties to speedily implement the Hon'ble Prime Minister's announcement by quickly passing the amended draft Tobacco Control Act and banning designated areas for smoking in all public places including restaurants.