The Bangladesh Jute Department will declare all of its offices 100% tobacco-free and install visible no-smoking signs, Director General and Additional Secretary Syed Md. Nurul Basir said on Tuesday. He made the announcement while chairing a discussion at the department’s meeting room on measures to ensure tobacco-free office environments under the Tobacco Control Act (Amendment) 2026. The event was organized by the National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh.

The foundation said 35.3% of Bangladesh’s adult population uses tobacco and tobacco-related diseases cause about 200,000 deaths annually, citing Tobacco Atlas. It said around 40 million non-smokers face health risks from secondhand smoke. In 2024, health and environmental losses from tobacco use and production were about Tk87,000 crore, while government revenue was Tk41,000 crore.

Professor Dr. Sohel Reza Choudhury said smoke-free offices and public gathering places could protect non-smokers and encourage smokers to quit. Basir said tobacco has no positive aspect and harms users, families, colleagues and future generations. He called for active cooperation from officials and employees to implement tobacco-control law and ensure tobacco-free workplaces.