DHAKA, Dec 10, 2025 (BSS) –The Department of Environment (DoE) and all its subsidiary offices have been officially declared cent percent smoke-free to protect non-smokers from the harmful effects of passive smoke.

From now on, all departmental activities will follow national tobacco control guidelines and operate strictly within smoke-free premises.

The announcement was made today by DoE Director General Dr. Md. Kamruzzaman at a programme titled “Declaration of “ All  DoE offices as 100% Smoke-Free” held at the department’s headquarters in Agargaon, jointly organised with Dhaka Ahsania Mission.

Dr. Kamruzzaman said the initiative aims to safeguard employees, officials, and visitors from the dangers of passive smoking.

Presenting the keynote paper, Md. Shariful Islam, Coordinator of Dhaka Ahsania Mission’s Tobacco Control Project, highlighted that tobacco smoking contains around 7,000 chemicals, including 250 that are highly harmful and can cause fatal diseases.
 
He added that over 130,000 people die annually in Bangladesh due to tobacco consumption, while 42.7 percent of covered workplaces (Acchadito Kormoketro) and 21.6 percent of government offices are exposed to non-smokers  and passive smokers.

He further noted the environmental hazards of smoking, citing that cigarette butts and packets generate 40,490 tons of toxic waste annually, and in 2024 alone, 4,139 fire incidents were caused by burning cigarettes.

The programme was chaired by DoE Director Parvez Chawdhury while Dhaka Ahsania Mission Health and WASH Sector Director Iqbal Masud, Deputy Director Mokhlesur Rahman, Youth Forum Coordinator Marjana Muntaha and various departmental directors  also attended it.