Category: Events

The proposed budget for FY 2021-22, if passed, will make tobacco products even more affordable and increase the use among the youth and the poor. This would put public health under considerable threat, benefit only tobacco companies, and make the government lose opportunities of earning additional revenues. Members of Parliament (MPs), economists, and public health experts said this today (13 June 2021, Sunday) during an online budget reaction event, organized jointly by PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress) and Anti-Tobacco Media Alliance (ATMA).

In its analysis of tobacco tax-related measures in the proposed budget, PROGGA drew attention to the fact that the proposed budget has kept the prices and taxes on the low and medium-tier cigarettes unchanged which respectively constitute around 72 and 16 percent of the Bangladeshi cigarette market. The prices for 10 sticks of high and medium-tier cigarettes have been raised by only Tk. 5 and Tk. 7 (5.5 percent hike), setting the prices at Tk. 102 and 135 respectively.

The increase (5 percent) is very negligible compared to the increase in per capita income of the country (9 percent). Hence, the proposed budget would make all types of cigarettes even much cheaper. According to Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS), 2017, between 2009 and 2017, there has been a 1.5 million increase in the number of cigarette users. The budgetary measures, as proposed, would increase the number of smokers again, putting public health in a precarious position. The prices of bidi and widely used smokeless tobacco (jarda and gul) have also been kept unchanged which would undoubtedly increase use of these products and put the low-income people into greater health risk.

PROGGA’s analysis has also highlighted that imposing higher taxes on tobacco products is a pro-poor measure. The likelihood of quitting tobacco increases among the poor demographic with price hike. It also reduces premature deaths and medical expenses from tobacco-related diseases. Thus, it becomes possible for poor households to recover the loss of productivity and other income losses incurred from tobacco use. It has also come up in the budget reaction that the existing faulty multi-tiered ad-valorem tax structure is also increasing the tendency to switch to cheaper cigarette brands.

As a result, the government is losing the opportunity of earning a huge amount of revenue from pricy brands. Implementation of budget proposals of anti-tobacco organizations, i.e. increasing prices of all tobacco products through imposing specific taxes will encourage 1.1 million people to quit smoking, prevent premature deaths of 390,000 current adults and 400,000 current youth, and earn BDT 3400 crore in additional revenue from cigarettes as supplementary duty, health development surcharge and VAT. It would also expedite the realization of the vision of a tobacco-free Bangladesh by 2040, as declared by the Honorable Prime Minister.

During the roundtable, Saber Hossain Chowdhury MP, the Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Environment, Forestry and Climate Change, said, “The low and medium tier of cigarettes need to be merged and brought under specific taxation in the final budget of this year. We are working to save lives and we are not ready to get defeated by tobacco companies. Tobacco claims 10 to 15 times more lives than the COVID pandemic has done in one year. So why shouldn’t we be worried about tobacco? The Honorable Prime Minister is on behalf of a welfare state. I know she would support our propositions, otherwise, I would not discuss this.”

Eminent economist and the convener of the National Anti-Tobacco Platform, Dr. Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad said, “We called for increased prices for all tobacco products. We called for the introduction of specific taxes. The proposed budget does not reflect any of these demands. However, he mentioned that the proposed budget can be changed if the Honorable Prime Minister is willing.” Senior Research Fellow of the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) and economist Dr. Nazneen Ahmed said, “The prices of low tier cigarettes need to be increased in one quick blow.

This can discourage the youth from getting hooked on tobacco. We want the future youth to be healthy. Only then can we utilize the benefits of demographic dividends to develop our country.” The Research Director of Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS), Dr. Mahfuz Kabir said, “The low and medium tier make up for around 88 percent of total cigarette market of the country.

As a result, these tiers required a hike so that revenues could increase and health risks could be reduced.” Dr. Syed Mahfuzul Huq, National Professional Officer of WHO; Md. Mostafizur Rahman, Lead Policy Advisor of Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (CTFK), Bangladesh; and Dr. Sohel Reza Choudhury, Professor at the Dept. of Epidemiology and Research of the National Heart Foundation also spoke among others in the program. The event was hosted by Nadira Kiron, Co-convener, ATMA. The budget proposals were presented by Md. Hasan Shahriar, Project Head, Tobacco Control, PROGGA. Among those present were also Mortuza Haider Liton, Convener, ATMA, ABM Zubair, Executive Director, PROGGA, and representatives of anti-tobacco organizations and media outlets.

During the event, the proposals have been presented to be included in the finalized 2021-22 national budget.

Introduce a tiered specific excise (supplementary duty -SD) with uniform tax burden (SD share of 65% of final retail price) across all cigarette brands. The retail price should be set for 10 sticks cigarette in the low-tier at Tk. 50, medium-tier at Tk. 70, high-tier at Tk. 110, premium-tier at Tk. 140; followed by Tk. 32.50, Tk. 45.50, Tk. 71.50 and Tk. 91 as specific supplementary duty (SD) respectively. Besides, reduce price tiers from four to two in the medium-term (2021-22 to 2025-26) by reducing the gaps in final prices and tax rates between cigarettes brands.

For 25 non-filtered bidi sticks, the retail price should be Tk. 25, followed by a specific supplementary duty of Tk. 11.25. The price for 20 filtered sticks should be Tk. 20, which will be followed by a specific supplementary duty of Tk. 9. As a result of such measures, in both filtered and non-filtered bids, the specific supplementary duty will be 45 percent of final retail prices. For SLT products, the price per 10-gram jarda and gul should be Tk. 45 and 25 respectively. A specific supplementary duty of Tk. 27 should be imposed per 10-gram jarda. For gul, the specific supplementary duty should be Tk. 15. As a result of such measures, in both jarda and gul, the specific supplementary duty will be 60 percent of final retail prices.

Long human chain programs have been carried out on both banks to demand protection of the Teesta River, prevention of floods and erosion, alleviation of human suffering and compensation to the victims. The program was held on Sunday from 11 am to 12 noon at the initiative of ‘Save Teesta, Save River, Sangram Parishad’. The organization claims that the human chain was held in an area of ​​about 230 km on both sides of the Teesta.

According to the organization, the total length of the river Teesta is about 315 kilometers. About 115 kilometers have flowed in Bangladesh. At noon, a long human chain was held simultaneously across an area of ​​230 km on both sides. The human chain was held from Paschim Chhatnai Zero Point in Dimla Upazila of Nilphamari District, the mouth of the river Teesta, to Haripur Ghat in Haripur Union of Sundarganj Upazila of Gaibandha District (where the Teesta meets the Brahmaputra).

Nazrul Islam Haqqani, president of the organization, presided over the human chain program at Kaunia Point in Rangpur. Tuhin Wadud, a teacher of Begum Rokeya University and a member of the Standing Committee of Teesta Bachao Nadi Bachao Sangram Parishad, Nuruzzaman Khan and others spoke on the occasion. Shafiar Rahman, general secretary of the organization, presided over the function at Uttar Dawabari point in Hatibandha upazila of Lalmonirhat district. Among others, Chhadekul Islam, a member of the Standing Committee of Save Teesta and Save the River Sangram Parishad, among others, spoke on the occasion. Besides, standing committee members Shafiqul Islam Kanu, Amin Uddin, Mozaffar Hossain, Mohammad Ali, Mahmud Alam, Mahabub Alam, Aminur Rahman, Abdun Nur Dulal, Bakhtiyar Hossain and others spoke at different points.

Nazrul Islam Haqqani, president of the organization at Kaunia Point, said that if the Teesta was protected, not only the climate but also the agricultural economy of the region would be protected from catastrophic damage.

Begum Rokeya University teacher Tuhin Wadud said the Teesta River has become destructive due to unilateral withdrawal of water from India and lack of domestic care. If it is possible to take care of the river scientifically, the river will also survive, it will save thousands of crores of rupees. As a result, spending money to protect this river is the most profitable in the country.

Nuruzzaman Khan said, ‘We have no alternative to protect the Teesta river. To get our water from India, there has to be a Teesta treaty on the basis of fair share.

The speakers congratulated Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for adopting the Teesta Master Plan. At the same time, they demanded speedy implementation of the master plan. A six-point declaration was presented at the rally.

The points are:

1. Effective measures have to be taken to maintain adequate water flow in the river Teesta throughout the year. The river needs to be scientifically excavated to protect it. As a common river, the Teesta agreement should be signed with India on the basis of fair share.

2. The victims of the Teesta erosion and floods will have to be compensated. Housing needs to be provided to the landless and homeless victims of demolition.

3. In the master plan for the protection of the river Teesta, it is necessary to make arrangements for its speedy implementation keeping in view the interests of the people of the river and its banks.

4. The previous relationship of the river with the tributaries, tributaries and tributaries of the river Teesta has to be restored. Adequate reservoirs have to be constructed to retain rain water.
5. Effective measures must be taken to protect the interests of agriculture and farmers in the char areas. The master plan needs to be implemented quickly.

Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA) and Bangladesh Environment Network (BEN) is going to organize the 4^th International Conference on Bangladesh Environment (ICBEN) held on December 26 & 27, 2020. This conference will be devoted to the 20^th anniversary of the founding of BAPA, and, in view of the COVID-19, it will be virtual.

This effort has led to significant progress, including the early successes in removing black smoke-spewing two-stroke engine vehicles (TSVE) from the streets of major cities, the introduction of unleaded gasoline, and re-imposition of the ban on the use of plastic bags. These were followed by the promulgation of new building and construction rules, allowing for more open space; enactment of wetland protection laws; imposition of restrictions on brick kilns aimed at protection of air quality, etc. An important development was the initiation of the movement for the protection of rivers, which form the backbone of Bangladesh’s environment. Beginning with the “Save the Buriganga River!” movement, launched in 2000, the river movement has now spread all across the country. It has sensitized the public, drawn the attention of the media, and persuaded the government to take some steps, including removal of some river encroaching structures and formation of the River Task Force and the National River Conservation Commission (NRCC). The High Court has now declared rivers as “living entities” with legal rights and appointed NRCC as custodian with the responsibility of upholding those rights.

Despite these successes, the overall process of environmental degradation continues. The government’s efforts to protect the rivers are half-hearted, follows the wrong Cordon approach, are often proving counter-productive and creating the new problem of water-logging. It’s big drive toward coal-fired power generation, including near the Sundarbans, is endangering both local and global environment. Plastic pollution is spreading and getting worse. The flawed transportation, settlement, and population policies are creating unbearable traffic jams.

Analyzing the situation, BAPA and BEN noted that a major cause of the disappointing progress in protecting Bangladesh’s environment has been lack of proper execution, as a result of which well-intentioned policies were often not implemented or implemented in perverse ways. The annual BAPA-BEN conference of 2015 discussed the problem and suggested ways of overcoming it. However, noting that the performance of government implementation agencies ultimately depends on the political leadership, BAPA and BEN have now called for greater influence of the environment movement on the political leadership of the country. The most recent BAPA-BEN annual conference, devoted to the theme of Political Effectiveness of the Environment Movement (PEEM), held in January 2020, has urged all to convert the environment movement into a mass movement and to think of new ways of increasing its political influence. It is in this backdrop that the 4^th ICBEN is being held.

Incidentally, BAPA was formed in July 2000, in the backdrop of the hugely successful 1^st ICBEN, which was initiated by BEN and held jointly by Porosh, BEN, BUET, and CEN, in January 2000, in collaboration with more than fifty pro-environment organizations of Bangladesh. Since then BAPA and BEN, together with other pro-environment forces of the country, have been working relentless for the protection of Bangladesh and global environment.

Scope and topics of ICBEN 2020

Following the preceding ICBENs, the ICBEN 2020 too will have a broad scope and will include all major issues related to environment under this purview. The topics of ICBEN 2020 will include the following:

• River and surface water bodies,
• Climate change,
• Natural disasters,
• Arsenic and ground water contamination,
• Plastic pollution
• Energy and environment,
• Air pollution: urban and rural
• Industrial pollution,
• Agriculture related issues of environment,
• Urban planning and environment,
• Transportation and communication policies,
• Rural housing and settlement pattern,
• Indoor environment: industrial, urban, and rural,
• Forests and Adibashi rights,
• Household waste,
• Medical waste,
• Electronic waste,
• Environment, parks, open space, and sports,
• Noise pollution,
• Biodiversity,
• Environment and health,
• Environment and tobacco cultivation and consumption,
• Environment and food safety,
• Environment and law,
• Environment and culture,
• Environment and the education curriculum and system,
• Environment and human rights,
• Environment and role of the civil society,
• Environment, public administration, capacity building, and governance,
• Environment and women and women’s movement,
• Environment and youth and student movement,
• Environment and workers’ movement,
• Environment and economic and financial policies,
• Environment and the role of donor agencies,
• Environment and regional cooperation,
• Bangladesh and international environment movement,
• The need for capacity building to protect environment,
• Environment and the movement for self-reliance,
• Ways to increase political influence of the environment movement,
• Blue Economy & Marine Environment
• Coastal & Ocean Environment,
• One Health Movement & Ecology
• Other issues of Bangladesh environment.

Call for papers

Papers are invited on the topics above for presentation at ICBEN 2020. The timeline for papers is as follows:

October 30, 2020: Submission of the abstract (between 200 and 300 words) stating the title of the paper, name of the author(s) with institutional affiliation(s), and e-mail addresses.

November 30, 2020: Submission of full papers as per the recommended format

December 15, 2020: Decision on the paper presentation

All abstracts and papers should be sent electronically in Word format to the following:

Papers written by authors residing in Bangladesh should be sent to Prof. M. Shahidul Islam, Department of Geography & Environment, Dhaka University, Ramna, Dhaka, at [email protected]

Papers written by authors residing outside of Bangladesh should be sent to Prof. Saleh Tanveer, Dept of Mathematics, Ohio-State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA at [email protected]

A selection of papers presented at ICBEN 2020 will be published, after necessary editorial process, in the conference volume.

Dual format

Following the tradition of BAPA-BEN conferences, ICBEN-2020 will have a dual format, with “Expert Sessions” for presentation of papers by scientists and scholars and “General Sessions” for presentation by leaders, activists, and representatives of different sections of the society, including direct victims of environmental degradation. To have appropriate representation in the General Sessions, the conference organizers will reach out to various environmental organizations; conservation movements; political parties; trade unions; mass organizations; organizations of women, youth, students; cultural and sports organizations; and other relevant organizations and individuals.  

Organizers of the conference

Also following the tradition of ICBENs, BAPA and BEN will invite all universities; environment-related other academic establishments; environmental organizations; conservation movements; and other pro-environment organizations, institutions, and establishments to join ICBEN-2020 as associate organizers. Meanwhile, a Conference Organizing Committee (COC) has been formed with Adv. Sultana Kamal as the Chairperson and Dr. Mohd. Abdul Matin as the Member Secretary for the preparatory purpose of the conference.  

Conference office BAPA office at 9/12 Lalmatia, Block D, Dhaka 1217, will serve as the office of ICBEN-2020. The office may be contacted by phone at 02-58152041 and by e-mail at [email protected]

bdenvironment.com, an environmental web portal, has initiated a national environmental writing contest to empower the youth. Any age of Bangladeshis, living here or abroad, were eligible to participate in the competition “ACI Pure Salt presents National Environmental Writing Contest 2020”. There were no specific category but the write-up needed to be related with environmental issue of Bangladesh. The length of write up was 450 to 600 words.

Kowshik Ahmed, student of B.Sc. in Environmental Science and Disaster Management of Patuakhali Science and Technology University (PSTU) became the champion of the contest and he got couple return air ticket of Cox’s Bazar while Amit Hasan Anik from Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP) got a movie projector as the first runner up. Marfua Mowla, student of Department of Chemical Engineering, BUET became the second runner up and got couple dinner in a restaurant. There were also attractive gifts arranged for fourth to tenth position and a love of token gift for eleventh to twenty position holders. There were total five hundred and seven write up we received and top sixty six write up will be published on our website. Also we will publish an e-book and will provide a letter of participation.

The founder of bdenvironment.com Md. Ashraful Alam announced the award by a live from our official Facebook page. He expressed on youth and volunteer activist to save earth. At the end of the live, he announced their upcoming event which is Make Dhaka Green Again where people will plant a tree on their convenient places like the veranda, reading table, or office desk and post those photos on social media with hashtag #MakeDhakaGreenAgain to promote and expand green activities.

Moreover, bdenvironment.com is an environmental web portal that connects people to environmental & climate change issues of Bangladesh. It launched on June 8, 2013. From inauguration to now, it organized around hundred events including tree plantation, waste management campaign, seminar, workshop, national contest to spread environmental awareness.

The 66 List!

With a view to continuing the death trade amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, tobacco companies have resorted to a series of cunning tactics including intense lobbying campaigns, grants, corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs, spread of misinformation and other tactics.

On 26 September 2020, Mr. Hasan Shahriar, Head of Tobacco Control Project, PROGGA, has presented these issues in a webinar titled “Covid-19 and Tobacco Industry”, organized by PROGGA, with support from Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (CTFK). According to the observations of PROGGA, a research and advocacy organization, two multinational tobacco companies were able to secure special permission from the Ministry of Industries amid this ongoing pandemic to continue cigarette production, marketing and leaf procurement by presenting cigarette as an essential item, while the World Health Organization (WHO) has been warning that tobacco products help spread corona infection and worsen subsequent illness.

As a part of carefully crafted CSR ploys, the companies have been distributing personal protective equipment among law-enforcing agencies and field administration officials, arranging and participating in Facebook Live Talk Shows to promote brand image, and spreading misinformation such as smokers enjoy better protection against coronavirus infection due to tobacco addiction.

Vaping traders have become particularly desperate in recent times, aggressively targeting the youth. Campaigns after campaigns are being launched everyday on social media platforms to spread utter lies and misinformation and to get the youth into vaping. Anti-Tobacco activists speaking in the program said, CSR programs create scope for unnecessary interactions between tobacco companies and govt. officials and policymakers.

Tobacco companies take full advantage of this and interfere in the adoption and implementation of tobacco control measures. They call for an immediate amendment of existing tobacco control law to put an end to all CSR activities of tobacco companies. Speakers, in the webinar, have also called for a total ban on production, import and marketing of all vaping items including e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products.

Moreover, they also stressed on the fact that the existence of cigarettes in the list of Essential Products is in conflict with the Honorable Prime Minister’s Vision for a Tobacco-Free Bangladesh by 2040. They demanded that the 1956 Essential Products Act be amended to eliminate tobacco products from the list.

Along with the theme of “Citizen Journalism for sustainability and development”. Eastern University Journalist Forum (EUJF) is going to organize an online workshop on “Green Journalism” jointly with environmental web portal bdenvironment.com. Anyone can join the workshop who are living here or in abroad, are eligible to participate in the workshop.

Resource person from prominent daily newspaper and television will be trained students how to write and presents on newspaper, magazine, television and radio about environmental issues for country’s sustainable development. They will also express on expand environmental issues and citizen journalism to prevent climate change matters. Desh Shamachar is strategic partner of this grand workshop for sustainable development of the country.

Date: Friday, 28 August, 2020 at 7:30 PM

Resource Person:

• Iftekhar Mahmud, Special Correspondent, Prothom Alo
• Sheikh Rokon, Secretary General, Riverine People

Host: Md. Ashraful Alam, Founder, bdenvironment.com

Fees & Platform: Free of cost but need prior registration & the platform is Zoom

The founder of bdenvironment.com Md. Ashraful Alam said that to save environmental and prevent climate change issue from Bangladesh we need to aware people a lot. Only mass media can do that very rapidly. So it is our time to expand environmental issue through mass media.

President of Eastern University Journalist Forum Samiya Habib emphasized, Nature itself is a mother or has motherly features. For instance, being like river to provides water, giving Oxygen and shelter like trees which also filter the polluted air into fresh air and breathable oxygen for us. Only the mass people take this initiative of keeping safe our environment from pollution.

Moreover, bdenvironment.com is an environmental web portal that connects people to environmental & climate change issues of Bangladesh. It launched on June 8, 2013. From launched to till now it organized around hundred event including national environmental writing contest, tree plantation, waste management, seminar, workshop, nature photography contest and campaign to spread environmental awareness.

Incidentally, Eastern University Journalist Forum is a network of interested students of being journalist and young professionals with a view to fostering critical thinking about media journalism, encouraging ethics in journalism and developing skills for dynamic journalism and media professions.

Registration Form