Dhaka: State Minister for Health and Family Welfare Zahid Malik on Thursday said mobile court drive will be launched to stop display of tobacco advertisements at the selling points.

The minister informed about the measure while talking to reporters at the ministry ahead of ‘World no Tobacco Day’.

He said the display of any type of advertisements on tobacco products at the selling points are strictly prohibited according to the relevant law.

Zahid Malik urged the tobacco companies to print health cautionary images on the packets of tobacco products from 16 March of 2016.

He said the availability of tobacco products will be reduced by raising its price, stopping tobacco smuggling, imposing ban on retail sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products, bringing cigarette and ‘Jarda’ factories in local areas under taxation.

“We gave a letter to the National Board of Revenue (NBR) and the Ministry of Finance to increase the tax over tobacco products this year”, he added.

He urged the customs officials, police and BGB members to become more active to check tobacco smuggling and take rigorous actions against the smugglers.

Zahid also said the Deputy Commissioners (DC) of all districts will be ordered through the Ministry of Public Administration to conduct mobile court drive to wipe out foreign cigarettes from the market.

“We will request the home ministry to identify the routes used for tobacco smuggling,’’ he added.