As three young boys, puffing cigarettes, were taking a rickshaw ride along Elephant Road last week, a patrol police officer stopped them and demanded Tk. 50 each as fine for violating the law although smoking in non-motorised vehicles is no violation.

The boys, however, managed to get out of the situation by paying Tk.100 in total but the officer did not give them any acknowledgement.

"He told us that receipt books were not yet printed, and the receipt would be submitted to the Police Station (PS). He also said that we would have to pay another Tk.150 to get a receipt," said Ashique one of the youngsters.

When contacted, officer on duty of the Dhanmondi PS said that not a single case has been recorded under the 'The Smoking and Tobacco Control Act- 2005'.

"We haven't received the gazette notification as yet and so we cannot take any action," said sub-inspector Fatema Begum.

Only some of the 22 police stations in the city have received the gazette notification and the ones that have received it have not begun taking action against smokers for breaking the law.

"We are just removing and bringing down billboards, banners and posters on the roads since we received the notification," said Mahbubur Rahman, officer-in-charge (OC) Ramna PS.

The law imposed a ban on smoking in public places, public transport and on the advertisement of tobacco products. Common people expressed mixed reactions about the law and it is observed that smoking in public places has reduced dramatically.

"Many of my permanent customers who bought cigarettes on their way to work buy a few or nothing at all. But some continue to buy cigarettes on the way home, " said Rashid a seller at New Eskaton.

Many smokers have shown positive response with respect to the law.

"Being a smoker, myself, I still support the law. Smoking is injurious to health but can't get rid of the habit now, but the law can save non-smokers," said Akram Ullas a banker.

Smokers wishing to abide by the law are confused regarding its interpretation. Most of them do not have a clear idea of what the law states.

"I know that the government has prohibited smoking in public places and public transport but which places and transport serves are public should have been made clear to us," said Sazzad Sharif a student of private university.

Many smokers demanded demarcation of smoking free areas stating the prohibition. Sharif cited the public library as an example where the authorities put up a billboard declaring the area smoking free after the law was passed.

"We have been in the habit of smoking anywhere for a long time. Such signboards would help to remind us where to and not to smoke," said Azmat Ullah, an ex-government official.

For many smokers, this was a chance to quit smoking.

"I have been trying to quit smoking but it was not quite easy. But after the imposition of the law, three of my friends and I have decided to call smoking quits. The restriction in smoking has already minimised my chances of smoking and it is in a way helping me quit the habit," said Diponkar Biswash a student employee of a bank.

On the other hand non-smokers who could not do nothing against smokers before the law was passed have now the opportunity to protest smoking in public.

In a private university campus recently non-smokers vehemently protested against a student-smoker and threw the boy out of the campus when he refused to put out the cigarette.

"It was amazing. All students including smokers chorused the protest and threw him out of the campus. After the incident not even the seniors dared to smoke inside the campus," said Nusrat Karim, a student of the university.

Non-smokers urged for proper implementation of the law.

"We would be happy if the smokers now show respect to our rights and thereby to the law," said Nazmul Hossain, a government service holder.