Govt to step up efforts to curb drug menace: home adviser

Home adviser

The government is stepping up efforts to curb the drug menace, with a renewed focus on dismantling trafficking networks and reducing dependency on rehabilitation centres.

At a press briefing at the Secretariat today, Home Adviser Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said drug abuse remains one of the country's most pressing challenges, alongside corruption, and stressed the need to cut off narcotics at the source.

"We must act before people end up in rehab. That's where the real solution lies," he said.

"We are spending Tk 1,400 crore to expand state-run drug treatment centres, but our goal is to make sure no one has to go there."

He said Phensedyl is being trafficked again in large volumes from India.

"India doesn't even consume it anymore. It's produced in border areas solely for smuggling into Bangladesh," he said, calling the cross-border factories a form of "cottage industry".

He also pointed to the continued influx of yaba from Myanmar, saying that certain armed groups across the border remain financially dependent on the drug trade.

"We've flagged this repeatedly. This is a transnational threat," he said.

On domestic enforcement, the adviser said arresting drug carriers is not enough.

"We must identify and go after the godfathers behind these networks. Without that, the supply chain remains intact."

Jahangir acknowledged that narcotics have permeated all levels of society "from the affluent to the poor, from the educated to the uneducated".

"When I visited a correctional facility, I saw children, students, and professionals all affected," he said.

The government is also preparing to establish seven new state-run rehab centres in seven divisions, on top of the four already in place.

"But I sincerely hope no one needs to go to these centres. Prevention must be our top priority," he said.

At the briefing, Department of Narcotics Control Director General Md Hasan Maruf said the department is monitoring licensed bars and shisha lounges, many of which have become hubs for illegal narcotics.

"Every licensed bar is supposed to procure alcohol from the government's Carew & Co warehouse, but illegal stock is being found almost everywhere," he said.

"Shisha lounges are also spreading rapidly in Dhaka's upscale areas and drawing in young people."

Maruf acknowledged internal challenges, saying, "We've received allegations that some of our own officials are complicit. This is a nationwide social disease. We need collective action -- by law enforcers, the public, and the media -- to tackle it."

He added that while several carriers are being caught, more work is needed to bring the "masterminds to justice".

"Only going after couriers won't solve the problem. We must break the chain at the top," he said.

He also urged journalists to continue their investigative reporting and public awareness efforts, calling the media's role "crucial" in tackling the country's drug crisis.