Steps will be taken to stop smoking on the OTT platform

A meeting was organized jointly by the Bangladesh Film Development Corporation, Film Directors Association, Film Artists Association, MANAS, and the UNION on ‘Necessity to implement ‘Smoking and Tobacco Use (Control) Act’ dated on 6 April 2022, at V.I.P Projection Hall – Bangladesh Film Development Corporation (BFDC)-Dhaka. 

The purpose of the seminar was to bring together all stakeholders from a variety of departments across the Film Industry to promote discussion on cross-cutting issues to implementing tobacco control law in film, compare alternative ways for describing the scenario of the film, share information and approaches to key problems, disseminate and encourage the use of existing data and foster the development of a new idea to sensitize and motivate to fulfil Prime Minister vision of Bangladesh. In the light of the discussions at the meeting, following request had placed to Md. Mokbul Hossain, PAA, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (Bangladesh) by Prof. Dr. ArupRatan Chowdhury, founder president of MANAS to issue a directive on the implementation of the Tobacco Control Act.

1) Adherence to ‘Smoking and Tobacco Use (Control) Act’ and related rules in the production of films, dramas, web series, documentaries by directors, producers and artisans.

2) Not giving permission from the censor board to broadcast films, dramas, web series, documentaries made in violation of the law.

3) To give instructions to the television owners and responsible persons to stop the promotion of smoking scenes in television dramas and films.

4) Films made in violation of the law and those involved are disqualified for National awards.

5) To take measures to stop smoking scenes in movies, dramas, web series broadcast on OTT platforms.

Nuzhat Yeasmin, Managing Director (Additional Secretary), BFDC, Hossain Ali Khondoker, Coordinator (Additional Secretary), National Tobacco Control Cell, Md. Jasim Uddin, Director General, Mass Communication Department, Md.Saifullah, Vice-Chairmen, Censor Board, Khurshed Alam Khosru, Ex-President Film Producer Distributor Association, Sohanoor Rahman Sohan, President Film Directors Association, Elias Kanchan, President Film Artiste Association, Nipun Akter, General Secretary, Film Artiste Association, Prof. Dr. Md. Abu Hanif, Head and Neck Cancer Surgeon Director National Institute Of Ent, Ad. Syed Mahbubul Alam, Technical Advisor – The Union, Nipun Akter(Actress), General Secretary, Film Artiste Association, Md.Saifullah, Vice-Chairmen, Censor Board, Khurshed Alam Khosru, Ex-President of Film Producer Distributor Association, Sohanoor Rahman Sohan, President of Film Directors Association, and Helal Uddin, General Secretary of Protacha express their opinion on Tobacco use and Tobacco control law at meeting