Smoking in public

It's welcome news that the Bangladesh government has banned smoking in public places, in line with a United Nations treaty on tobacco control. The parliament had passed a law implementing the ban, setting a fine of 50 taka for people caught smoking in places such as schools, offices, libraries, hospitals and airports.

But how Azizur Rahman, who was fined for smoking in a public place, is supposed to know that parliament has passed a law on smoking? Has the government devised any mechanism for letting the people know about the law it passed? You could always say that the news of passing the law was widely publicised by the media. But unfortunately the policymakers did not think that Azizur Rahman, living in a remote village in Barisal, might not have any access to any TV or radio. No matter how much black bile is spewed by the government party lawmakers against the newspapers, they are the ones who actually tried to publicise the news.

If the government lawmakers think that Bangladesh Television and Bangladesh Betar had done the most, they are wrong; very wrong. Because viewers and listeners hardly understand the language of BTV and Betar. BTV and Betar broadcast the most incomprehensible language on their transmissions.

Moreover, is the process of passing the law complete? Have all the guidelines been made clear to the law enforcing agencies so that they can enforce the law correctly?

If you are passing a law on anything, please enforce it in a legally correct way.