Photo : BSS

DHAKA, Feb 3, 2026 (BSS) - The Ahsania Mission Youth Forum for Health and Wellbeing, an initiative under the Dhaka Ahsania Mission (DAM) health sector, today called for the Smoking and Tobacco Products Usage (Control) (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025 to be enacted as a full-fledged law in the upcoming 13th national parliament, aiming to protect the younger generation.

The demand came during a rally held in front of the Dhaka Ahsania Mission office in Dhanmondi.

Speakers at the rally said enacting the ordinance as law is necessary to shield adolescents from the harmful effects of tobacco.

Students from various universities, including Dhaka University, Jahangirnagar University, ULAB, East-West University, American International University-Bangladesh (AIUB), South-East University, Bangladesh University, and Jagannath University, attended the rally.

The government approved the Smoking and Tobacco Products Usage (Control) (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025, on December 30, 2025, which introduces strict measures to curb tobacco use, effective from January 1, 2026.

The ordinance mandates a complete ban on e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products (HTPs), expands smoke-free public spaces, prohibits tobacco advertising and corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities by tobacco companies, and increases health warnings on tobacco packaging to 75 percent.