It is evident from the research that student of school, College & universities are the main drug user & their inception in drug abuse take place through curiosity & peer pressure , similarly oral cancer & dental diseases are more prevalent in developing countries like Bangladesh due to lack of awareness & health education . Keeping this in mind Dr. Arup Ratan Choudhury started regular (weekly) health education program on tobacco, smoking, oral cancer, dental diseases, diabetes& other systemic disease in the media like television & radio since 1978. Dr. Choudhury also writes on tobacco & drug abuse & dental diseases regularly in daily newspaper, magazine & in medical journal for the public awareness. His television program namely “Dhumpane Bishpan (Smoking & poisoning) is one of the most popular health programs in Bangladesh Television on hazards of smoking. Dr. Choudhury regular health program on oral health specialty on oral cancer related to tobacco use & its relation to other systemic disease created much of public awareness , at the same time this kind of program created priorities on different health issues for motivation & health education for both public & government . Dr. Arup Ratan Choudhury already published 11 books on tobacco related diseases, especially on oral health, drug abuse & its prevention. Those books are now circulated & distributed among all district public libraries & educational Institutions for students by the ministry of Education, Culture & health Government of Bangladesh.
For the nationwide public awareness & education especially for the students of schools /colleges , Dr. Choudhury established one organization namely MANAS – Association for the prevention Drug abuse , which includes prominent film stars , artistes & celebrities of the country , Dr. Choudhury is the founder president of MANAS . The main purpose of the organization is to visit every educational institutions of the country to educate the students about the hazard of tobacco use & drug abuse since they are the victim of the circumstances due to pear group pressure & curiosity. MANAS regularly organize lecture & seminars to the educational institutions of the country with leaflet, posters, books & video with multi – media presentations.
These educational institutions declared as “Non-smoking Zone” after the seminars & MANAS always follow up this kind of program every year. For the achievement in promoting the concept of Tobacco free societies, Dr. Arup Ratan Choudhury was awarded “Tobacco or Health Model” from WHO (World Health Organization) in 1998 & MANAS as an organization awarded the same in 1995 (copy enclosed)
Dr. Choudhury presented 38 scientific papers in different international scientific seminars & congress meeting including world dental congress , diabetes congress & tobacco congress namely in UK , USA, Canada, Japan , china ,Philippine , Singapore , Malaysia , France ,S. Africa , Australia , Austria , Finland ,Spain, India & Iran since 1990 (copy enclosed ) till today.
It is to be mentioned here that Bangladesh government has already implemented the tobacco control act 2005 which restrict smoking in public places & ban on tobacco advertisement which is the victory of the MANAS & other NGOs working against Tobacco & Smoking. Dr. Choudhury contribution through media is remarkable. His health related books & publications are also valuable contribution for public awareness (the first & only book written in Bengali on Tobacco & dental disease).
Above all Dr. A.R. Choudhury is a freedom fighter during the Liberation war of this country in 1971 & a singer of Sadhin Bangla Betar Kendra (a radio station during the war time in 1971) is remarkable for the independence of this country. At present he is the Hon. Senior Consultant and Professor of Dentistry in one of the biggest diabetic center of the World namely BIRDEM (Bangladesh Institute of Research Rehabilitation in Diabetes Endocrine & Metabolic Disorder) which is also a WHO collaborating center since 1982. He has conducted more then 38 research work on dental disease, tobacco & diabetes.
For the anti – tobacco movement and Dental health Care Dr. Arup Ratan Choudhury is one of the pioneers in Bangladesh, his contribution for public awareness about Dental health, hazards of tobacco and drug free society and also in government policy making regarding tobacco control act is tremendous. Versatile and charismatic, Arup Ratan has written script and directed two short film (Nesha Sarbonasha – dangers of drug addiction and Srinkholay Jibon – discipline is life) on dangers of tobacco use and related diseases like diabetes, this two films are shows in TV regularly and created lot of public awareness and awarded the best short film for health education in 2003 by Bangladesh Film Journalist Association
(BACHSAS) , Arup Ratan is a member of national drug control board and Tobacco Control Task force and extended his enrichment against drug abuse prevention program in Dhaka and eventually through Bangladesh. Arup has developed MANAS itself as an organization to fight against drug abuse prevention program through educational institutions, electronic & printing Medias.