Prothom Alo journalist wins Tobacco Control Journalism Award

Four journalists have won the PROGGA Tobacco Control Journalism Award 2022 for their contribution in creating anti-tobacco awareness among the people.

Mosabber Hossain, senior correspondent of Prothom Alo, won the award under the online media category.

The other awardees are: Shamimul Haque, joint editor at Daily Manabjamin, and Mohammad Al Amin, senior correspondent at Daily Sun, under print media category and Anowar Hossain, staff correspondent at Desh Television, under TV media category.

PROGGA is a Bangladesh-based non-profit organisation which has been engaged in research, advocacy and communication in the fields of tobacco control, hypertension control and elimination of trans-fat in food items, since 2008.

PROGGA and Anti-Tobacco Media Alliance (ATMA) jointly organised this award-giving ceremony on Thursday with support from Campaign for Tobacco-free Kids (CTFK).  

Lauding the health ministry’s initiative to strengthen the tobacco control act, the speakers urged the government to pass the draft amendment of the act in the parliament as early as possible in a bid to reduce the numbers of deaths caused by tobacco.  

In his speech, professor AAMS Arefin Siddique, former vice-chancellor of Dhaka University, said, "Now, public opinion is largely in favour of the amendment [of the act]. That is the reason why the draft amendment should be finalised as soon as possible."   

"There is no alternative to strengthening the tobacco control act to build a tobacco-free Bangladesh envisioned by prime minister Sheikh Hasina," said Md Mostafizur Rahman, lead policy advisor for the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids - Bangladesh.