Dhaka: Media representatives of tourism beat and anti-tobacco campaign activists urged the government on June 23 to remove the designated 'smoking zone' in restaurants to protect non-smokers from the dangers of passive smoking.

The call was made at a virtual consultation meeting of the members of the Aviation and Tourism Journalists Forum of Bangladesh (ATJFB), organized by the Dhaka Ahsania Mission.

During the meeting, the ATJFB members underlined the need for the necessity to amend the Smoking and Tobacco Usage (Control) Act 2005 to ensure a 100 percent smoke-free environment for the expansion of the tourism and hospitality sector.

Coordinator, Tobacco Control Project Md Shariful Islam presented the keynote paper at the meeting where Media Manager of Dhaka Ahsania Mission Rezaur Rahman Rizvi moderated it.

Lead Policy Advisor of Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids Bangladesh Md Mostafizur Rahman said that non-smokers have the right to protect themselves from the dangers of passive smoking.

ATJFB President Nadira Kiron chaired the meeting while General Secretary Tanzim Anwar delivered the welcome speech.