The penalty for smoking in public is Rs

Dhaka Times Desk Smokers beware! If you smoke in public now, you will have to pay a fine of 100 rupees. Earlier this penalty was 50 rupees.

According to the law, no one can smoke in public or openly, if anyone violates this law, he will have to pay a fine of one hundred rupees. Earlier it was 50 rupees. On August 27, the cabinet gave its in-principle approval to the proposal to amend the law. The revised draft law has redefined the definition of 'public place'. A provision of Tk 500 fine has been added to the management authorities of 'Public Places' if they fail to implement the 'Smoking and Tobacco Use Control (Amendment) Act 2012'.

A regular meeting of the Cabinet was held in the conference room of the Cabinet Division in the Secretariat chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. After the meeting, Cabinet Secretary Mosharraf Hossain Bhuinya informed the journalists about the decisions. He said that the draft will now be sent to the Law Ministry for opinion. The draft will again be tabled in the cabinet after final approval if the ministry approves it.

In this act, the provision of imprisonment of 3 months without labor and a fine of up to 1 lakh taka has been proposed for advertising and promotion of tobacco products. In the new definition, 'public place' means a place or building of various public, private or autonomous organizations that can be used collectively. These are various educational institutions, educational institutions' grounds, playgrounds, various offices, shops, markets, public gatherings, fairs, bus stands and passenger standing lines and public toilets. Penalties can be imposed for smoking or using tobacco products in these places. Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO), Upazila Health and Family Welfare Officer and law enforcement officers can impose fines for this. Any aggrieved citizen can file a complaint for these crimes.

Apart from leaves, tobacco and roots, branches or other parts of tobacco plants are also defined as 'tobacco products' in the amended Act. Apart from bidis and cigarettes, gul, jorda, khaini and white tobacco leaves will also be considered as tobacco products. Provisions for reserving designated areas for smoking or use of tobacco products have also been added to the Act.

So be careful! Stop yourself from smoking i.e. drinking poison and protect others from this harm of smoking.