A staff reporter of the Dhaka Tribune has been awarded the Progga Tobacco Control Journalism Award 2014 in the best national English daily category.
Abu Bakar Siddique won the award for his report titled “Farming tobacco takes its toll on Bandarban forests” published on May 31 last year in the Dhaka Tribune.
In a ceremony yesterday at the city’s Ruposhi Bangla hotel, Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu handed over the award as the chief guest.
A total of five awards were given in different categories. Ubaidulla Badol, senior reporter of the Daily Jugantor, won the best national Bengali newspaper report. Moidul Islam, staff correspondent of Ntv, and Rita Nahar, staff correspondent of Boishakhi Television, won the best broadcast report category, while Shah Suel Ahmed, chief reporter of the Daily Sylhet Surma, got the award in local newspaper category.
A 13-member jury board, headed by Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor AAMS Arefin Siddique judged the winning reports.
Progga, a research and development organisation in collaboration with Anti Tobacco Media Alliance, Bloomberg Philanthropies and Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids have been giving this award since 2011 in the wake of “World No Tobacco Day” to be observed tomorrow.