Professor Dr. ArupRatan Choudhury Awarded WHO South East Asia Regional Director General’s Special Recognition Award 2024

Professor Dr. Arupratan Choudhury has been honored with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Director’s Special Recognition Award-2024 for his significant contributions to tobacco control in Bangladesh. The award was presented at a seminar held at the Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Convention Hall on the occasion of World No Tobacco Day.

The ceremony, which took place on Friday, May 31, at 11:00 AM, was graced by the presence of Samanta Lal Sen, the Honorable Minister of Health and Family Welfare, who presented the award. The event was also attended by Dr. Bardan Jang Rana, the WHO Representative in Bangladesh, and Md. Jahangir Alam, Secretary of the Health Service Department, who presided over the event.

Dr. Arupratan Choudhury has dedicated over 40 years to raising awareness about the dangers of tobacco. He has conducted numerous anti-smoking and anti-drug health programs on private television, Bangladesh Betar, and has published more than 200 articles in various magazines. Additionally, Dr. Choudhury has authored over 30 books on smoking, drugs, and health and produced the only anti-tobacco film in Bangladesh. In 1989, he founded the social organization ‘MANAS,’ through which he has been actively conducting anti-smoking and anti-drug campaigns and awareness activities.

Dr. Choudhury has also played a crucial role in policy-making as an honorable member of the National Advisory Committee on Narcotics Control under the Ministry of Home Affairs and the National Tobacco Control Task Force under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. His earlier accolades include the WHO’s ‘Tobacco or Health’ medal in 1995 and the second-highest civilian award in Bangladesh, the ‘Ekushey Padak,’ in 2015 for his social work.

World No Tobacco Day is observed annually on May 31 in various countries, including Bangladesh, to promote anti-tobacco awareness, an initiative spearheaded by the WHO. This year’s theme, “”Protecting children from tobacco industry interference”.

On this day, various programs are organized to mark the occasion. Messages from the President, the Prime Minister, and other high officials highlight the significance of the day and reiterate the commitment to a tobacco-free future.