RANGPUR: Speakers at a regional meeting have said the tobacco companies have been luring the innocent farmers in increasing tobacco cultivation in Rangpur region taking advantage of having no tobacco farming policy, reports BSS. They said tobacco companies have been conducting publicity of various advertisements and distributing prizes or gifts in various forms for spreading business and increasing sale of tobacco products violating the concerned laws.
The tobacco companies have also been paying the sums being fined by mobile courts to their retailers and adopting various strategies to keep farmers in their grip for increasing tobacco cultivation confining them in chasing after lucrative profits, they said.
The Anti Tobacco Media Alliance (ATMA) organised the meeting at regional office of Association for Community Development (ACD) in the city on Thursday for its members with assistance of ACD, ‘Progga’ and Campaign for Tobacco- Free Kids (CTFK).
The ATMA member-journalists from Rangpur region participated in the meeting with ATMA member, Staff Reporter of the Daily Janakantha and Rangpur Correspondent of the Samoy Television Manik Sarker Manik in the chair.
Project Coordinator of ACD Ehsanul Amin Emon narrated present tobacco cultivation scenario, violation of the amended Tobacco Control Act (TCA), health hazards of smoking in public places and other related issues.
They speakers expressed concern as the young generations are being addicted alarmingly with smoking following attractive advertisements being conducted by the tobacco companies in various forms and adoption of different techniques.