The sale of tobacco and tobacco products is banned within 100 metres of the boundaries of educational institutions, hospitals, clinics, sports grounds and children’s parks in Manikganj, and breaking the ban can bring a fine of up to 5,000 taka. Mobile courts will soon be deployed in the district to enforce the law, said deputy commissioner Nazmun Ara Sultana, who chairs the district tobacco control task force.
The deputy commissioner gave the details on Friday morning (September 25). The decision was taken on Thursday afternoon at the quarterly meeting of the district task force on implementing the tobacco control law, held in the deputy commissioner’s conference room.
Under the amended Smoking and Using of Tobacco Products (Control) Act, 2005, no one may sell or have tobacco products sold within 100 metres of the boundaries of educational institutions, hospitals, clinics, sports grounds or children’s parks. Breaking this rule carries a fine of up to 5,000 taka, doubling for each repeat offence. The government or local government bodies may extend the 100-metre limit if needed.
The amended law also bans smoking and the use of tobacco products in public places and on public transport. Breaking this rule can bring a fine of up to 2,000 taka, up from 300 taka before, doubling for repeat offences.
The meeting was told that the Smoking and Using of Tobacco Products (Control) (Amendment) Act, 2026, enacted on April 10 this year, added several new tobacco control provisions. Its notification has also been published in the government’s legal database as Act No. 91 of 2026.
According to the district administration, 11 mobile courts were held in the district from January to August this year to enforce the tobacco control law, fining 19 people a total of 3,150 taka.
The task force meeting stressed regular monitoring and stronger enforcement to stop the sale of tobacco products near educational institutions and other key places, and decided to run drives against outlets in particular to keep students away from tobacco.
The meeting, chaired by deputy commissioner and task force president Nazmun Ara Sultana, was attended by additional district magistrate Kamrul Hasan; task force member secretary and acting civil surgeon Dr Abdullah-Al-Aziz; Department of Agricultural Extension deputy director Shahjahan Siraj; district bar association president Advocate Jasim Uddin Ahmed; Manikganj Press Club president Jahangir Alam Biswas; BRTA assistant director Mahbub Kamal; social services officer Mostafa Habib; district sports officer Ferdousi Akter Bonna; police inspector Muhammad Rafiqul Islam and other task force members.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report