Bangladesh ‘must launch a crash program’ against drug abuse

The South Asian country should immediately launch a strict and effective program
against drug abuse otherwise the young generation would be destroyed within couple of
years, said Arup Ratan Chaudhury, head of the Association of Prohibiting Drug Abuse
(MANAS).

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Chaudhury said that use of drugs among young
generations were increasing alarmingly.

More than 7,000,000 people in Bangladesh are drug addicted, according to a MANAS
report published on Dec. 27.

"Our report said over 7 million, that means it is not 5 million as the government claimed.
And we think the exact number is much more than our figures. It could be 10 or 15
million," he added.

The most common drugs consumed in Bangladesh are Yaba tablets (simulating pills),
Cannabis, Heroin and Phensedyl, according to Chaudhury.

"Everyday millions of Yaba pills are entertaining in our country through the border with
Myanmar while phensedyl is coming from India," he said adding that these drugs are
going to root level of the society in front of the authorities and law enforcement
agencies.

A 2016 study by non-governmental organization Youth First Concern found that drug addiction is on
the rise, and that approximately 20 per cent of current drug addicts in Bangladesh are women.

The annual drug report 2016, published by the Home Ministry’s Department of Narcotic
Control (DNC) also showed that drug flow into Bangladesh were alarmingly rise in recent
years.

DNC report said that seizer of Yaba tablets was increased by 80,490 percent in comparison with the year of 2008
and 46 percent in comparison with the year of 2015.

It also said the “prevalence of cannabis is higher than any other drugs in Bangladesh. Cannabis comprises 50 percent of
all the cases detected by the DNC during 2016.”

The Report also showed that all types of people in society are using drugs, including
poor, rich, educated and illiterate people.

Around 77 percent of Drug abusers are young people aged between 16 and 35, said the
DNC report.

Chaudhury underlined that Teenagers were the primary victims of drug abuse and
added, if the current flow of the drug abuse could not be stopped, the youth generation
would be destroyed within couple of years.

"We urge the government to launch a crash program against the drug abuse," he said.
“The Government must take a drastic action with zero tolerance,” he added.

He stressed that if the government could mobilize all of its related institutes the situation
could be taken under control within four to six months.

Chaudhury referred the anti-drug action taken by Philippines President... and suggested
that Bangladesh should take the similar actions.

The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), an elite force of Bangladesh, said they have
continuously carried out operations against drug business.

“But it is not a matter that the drug abuse can only be demolished by the law
enforcement agencies,” Mufti Mahmud Khan, director of the Legal and Media Wing of
RAB, told Anadolu Agency.

He said that RAB has also been working with the local communities to increase
awareness about the drug abuse.

“As these pills [Yaba] is coming from a particular country [Myanmar], the surveillance
activities in land and sea routs have been increased, he noted.

He claimed that due to the intensive activities of the security forces the drug inflow
into Bangladesh was reduced in 2017.

“According to the intelligence information we have received, the number of Yaba pills
entrance into Bangladesh has significantly decreased,” he added.