The government will not ban religion-based political parties since only Election Commission (EC) has the authority to cancel registration of such parties, said Law Minister Shafique Ahmed yesterday.

If the EC cancels registration of any such political party, the party would not be able to contest elections, he said.

He made the remarks while talking to journalists after a seminar on Improvement of

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Tobacco Control Act and Present Context at the Jatiya Press Club yesterday afternoon.

Bangladesh Anti Tobacco Alliance (BATA), National Anti Tuberculosis Association of Bangladesh (NATAB) and Work for a Better Bangladesh (WBB) Dust jointly organised the seminar.

Earlier, the law minister told the seminar as the chief guest that the government will soon amend Tobacco Control Act 2005 incorporating provisions of tough and effective measures against production and use of tobacco.

Amendments will be brought to check advertisements by tobacco companies in the name of corporate social responsibilities, he said.

Shafique alleged that the previous BNP-Jamaat alliance government kept some loopholes in the act with a view to serving a vested quarter.

“The law was made to control smoking, not to stop tobacco production,” he added.

The minister also mentioned that the government will enact tougher laws banning all kinds of use of tobacco to make the country tobacco free.

Vice President of NATAB Mozaffar Hossain Poltu presided over the seminar. Dhirendra Debnath Shambhu, MP; Abu Naser Khan, chairman of Poribesh Bachao Andolan; coordinator of anti-tobacco alliance Saifuddin Ahmed, among others, spoke at the seminar.

They highlighted the lack of tobacco control law and demanded that the government amend the 2005 act with provisions of more effective measures.