Call for Formulation of Guidelines to Ban Smoking Scenes on OTT Platforms
Over exposure to smoking scenes on OTT platforms—highly popular among adolescents and young adults—is encouraging them toward addiction. Such practices contradict existing laws and cultural values. To protect the youth and ensure enforcement of tobacco control laws, there is an urgent need to develop a separate and specific guideline for OTT content.
This demand was made during a seminar titled “Need for Guidelines to Regulate Smoking Scenes in OTT Content”, jointly organized by Madok Draba and Nesha Nirodh Sangstha (MANAS), the Department of Film and Media Studies, and the Department of Journalism and Media Studies of Stamford University Bangladesh. The seminar was held on the morning of April 20, 2025, at Stamford University Siddheshwari Campus.
The event was graced by the Vice-Chancellor of Stamford University Bangladesh, Professor Dr. Moniruzzaman, as the Chief Guest. The session was presided over by the Founder President of MANAS, Freedom Fighter Professor Dr. ArupRatan Choudhury.
Key speakers included Dr. Motin Rahman, Chair of the Department of Film and Media Studies; Professor Dr. Kazi Abdul Mannan, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and Chair of the Department of Journalism and Media Studies; Stamford University Proctor Mrityunjoy Acharya; Aminul Islam Sujon, Technical Advisor of Vital Strategies; and Hamidul Islam Hillol, Project Manager at the Bureau of Economic Research. The keynote presentation was delivered by Umme Jannat, Project Coordinator at MANAS, and the event was moderated by Md. Abu Rayhan, Senior Project and Communication Officer at MANAS.
Professor Dr. Moniruzzaman emphasized the need for a comprehensive approach to tobacco control, addressing both demand and supply. He suggested government initiatives to support farmers in shifting away from tobacco cultivation. He further recommended that, as part of awareness campaigns, entertainment media should refrain from showcasing smoking and instead promote anti-smoking messages to help prevent addiction among youth.
Professor Dr. ArupRatan Choudhury expressed concern over the growing smoking habit among youth, influenced by tobacco companies. He described smoking as the gateway to drug addiction, leading to serious consequences. Stressing the importance of law enforcement, he called for the immediate formulation and enactment of specific guidelines to regulate OTT content in compliance with existing tobacco control laws.
In her presentation, Umme Jannat pointed out that there is currently no mandatory implementation of laws and policies for OTT content. Age-appropriate content guidelines are lacking, and tobacco and drug use scenes are often glamorized. This trend may lead to harmful behavioral patterns among the youth. She mentioned that several countries have already developed and enforced OTT regulations to control such content and urged Bangladesh to follow suit without delay.
Aminul Islam Sujon stated that more than 161,000 people die annually in Bangladesh due to tobacco-related diseases. To avoid such massive loss and suffering, there is no alternative to strengthening awareness campaigns. He urged filmmakers to act responsibly, highlighting that smoking destroys creativity in young people. In light of this, he called for the strict enforcement of tobacco control laws in films, including the development of new policies if necessary.
The seminar was attended by representatives from Work for a Better Bangladesh Trust, the Bureau of Economic Research at the University of Dhaka, Tobacco Control and Research Cell, Development Activities of Society (DAS), as well as faculty and over a hundred students from various departments of Stamford University.
