Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) will take necessary steps to make all its vessels, including ferries, completely smoke-free, the agency's Chairman Md Salim Ullah said today (22 May).

He said, "To protect public health and safeguard people from the harms of secondhand smoke, BIWTC has announced plans to take necessary steps to make all its vessels, including ferries, completely smoke-free," he told a discussion titled 'Measures to Ensure 100% Smoke-Free Water Transport'.

The event was jointly organised by Dhaka Ahsania Mission and Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) at the BIWTC conference room.
BIWTC Chairman Md. Salim Ullah presided over the event, while Assistant Secretary of the Ministry of Shipping Belayet Hossain, Mashruk Ahmed from the Department of Shipping, BIWTC's General Manager (Administration) Jesmin Ara Begum, Technical Director Kazi Wasif Ahmad, Helal Uddin from the river police and Deputy Director of the Health Sector at Dhaka Ahsania Mission Mokhlesur Rahman were present.

In the keynote presentation, Shariful Islam, Coordinator of the Tobacco Control Project of Dhaka Ahsania Mission, shared findings from the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) 2017, which revealed that approximately 37.8 million people in Bangladesh use tobacco products.

Among them, 19.2 million are smokers, while nearly 40 million non-smokers are exposed to secondhand smoke. The rate of secondhand smoke exposure is 42.7%, with 44% of individuals exposed in public transport. Ferries and passenger vessels fall under public transport, where such exposure is a daily occurrence.

Speakers at the event pointed out that smoking is often seen in various areas on ferries. Even in ferry canteens, passengers are exposed to secondhand smoke. To protect everyone from the harms of secondhand smoke, it is essential to implement strict measures to make ferries and all vessels entirely smoke-free.

However, the meeting called for active efforts to issue necessary directives to make all BIWTC vessels smoke-free, install appropriate no-smoking signage, and ensure all BIWTC offices are 100% smoke-free and free of designated smoking zones.