One cousin of mine whose parents embraced martyrdom in 1971 was other day chatting with me on Skype. She was completely out of wits.
She and her husband are reputed physicians. Their only daughter a student of private university in Bangladesh has serious drug issues.
The girl is exquisitely beautiful. She was brilliant student all through and got Golden GPA-5 in both SSC and HSC. Last time I was in Bangladesh my cousin wanted me to visit their house but for my busy schedule and law and order situation in January-February, I could not. I was not also aware about the exact reason what they wanted to discuss with me.
Other day finding me on Facebook, she asked me appear on skype. Her daughter has started taking Yaba and now is very much into the dark world. They tried all means to cure her. But it is almost out of control.
A brilliant girl who could deliver lot to the society is now completely derailed. She wanted to study nuclear physics. What a waste! Is it a matter in isolation? We are sure it is not. If one is true oneself it is a growing menace in Bangladesh society. There can be any or many reasons. But somehow the efforts to confront it are falling short of what actually needs to be done.
To be very honest among few other reasons we opt to migrate to Australia was to draw away our younger son from drug abuse. He is now a completely changed person, very responsible parents caring young man. We are not sure whether we could achieve this in Bangladesh. We could do it but many do not have that opportunities and are suffering. Nation is paying through the nose.
Drug abuse is now an epidemic in Bangladesh society. The menace is dealing telling blows on the backbone on your brilliant youth force. We must address this before it goes completely out of control.
We have read in Bangladesh media that about 6 million drug abusers spend over Tk 700 million every day on illegal narcotics. Media quoted this from a World Health Organization (WHO) report which also states that most of the abusers are young between 18 to 30 years age.
Another study conducted by the Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition (JHPN) of the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B) revealed that in the capital, 79.4% of the users were male and 20.6% female. The JHPN study found that 64.8% of the drug users in the country were unmarried, while 56.1% were either students or unemployed.95.4% users were smokers; 85.7% got into drugs under the influence of friends; 65.8% were addicted to various codeine-containing cough syrups. More than 100,000 people were directly involved with illegal drug trade and supplying the drugs.
Who are these abusers? Who are these drug traders?
These are definitely our next of keens. Our future generation is turning into dark days. A significant section of creative youth force is getting lost. In cyclic effect crimes, killings, murders and extortions are increasing in the society in geometric progressions. If someone could carry out a research one would find many of the crimes now committed in Dhaka city is directly or indirectly drug related.
We have very strong print and electronic media. Every day a community of Talk show traders deals with different issues. But how many media seriously deal with this major menace. Wine, alcohols are elder cousins of drugs. If wealthy influential persons consider consuming wines and alcohols as yardsticks of aristocracies they cannot blame their wards in taking drugs.
Government has intelligence agencies, narcotics and drugs handling departments, law enforcing agencies. It must not be difficult for government to track the drug dealers, traffickers, peddlers and abusers. But spreading of the abuse to a chronic epidemic evidences that there are loopholes in drug administration. Left land of the law must be definitely protecting the drug mafias and God parents of these drug syndicates.
How drugs like Yaba, Ice, and heroine are finding access into Bangladesh and who are the Godfathers behind these? We cannot blame much the peddlers like women and children for carrying and selling drugs because it is easier for them to evade law enforcers. Children are particularly preferred because the laws of the country are lenient for them and they can be engaged for small payments.
Knowledgeable persons are aware the drugs usually penetrate through porous borders around Bangladesh. In the areas right across India Bangladesh border thousands of make shift phensydyl shops are thriving on drug business with the target area inside Bangladesh.
Joint operation of BGB and BSF must wipe out these illegal trading and smuggling opportunities of drugs in and around Indo Bangla borders. Believe that this was discussed and agreed during Indo Bangla summit meeting. We will welcome cattle getting in and hilsas
To deal with drug abuse effectively we have to have ideas about drug chain. To reach the end users drug changes hands from growers – traders – traffickers – peddlers.
The main beneficiaries are the Godfathers who profits from it. They have huge ill gotten money and hence influence over politicians, law enforcers. They remain outside the ambit of law.
First there must be crack down on the plotters and planners of drug abuse – the Godfathers. It has to come from top level. There must be strong law and implementation of law. Anyone found involved in drug dealing, sponsoring must get exemplary punishment through summary trial. This menace has to attack at source.
To crack this vicious cycle Bangladesh need to make a comprehensive action plan to root this evil out of society. Charity has to begin at home. How many of our law makers can be honest to themselves that they can be relentless in eradicating drug abuse from society? We know our Prime Minister is very honest, pious and strong lady. We are sure she does definitely not like the growing menace and must have strongly advised her advisors and kitchen cabinet for addressing the situation.
Bangladesh must adopt zero tolerance policy against drug abuse. India Bangladesh protocols against drug trafficking must crack down on cross drug trafficking. BGB and BSF must deal these strongly and even their activities must be intensively monitored.
We hope once cross border trafficking of drugs entering from India into Bangladesh is effectively controlled 50% of the problem can be addressed. From Bangladesh side district admiration and law enforcing agencies along the border must be tasked for zeroing on the traffickers and traders. Off course ruling party cadres must have to take the leading role first dissociating themselves completely from drug dealings.
Another access point is Bangladesh Myanmar Border, Cox’sBazar and Teknaf areas. There are allegations that drug dealers control way of life in some areas.
Most dangerous drugs Yaba, Ice and Heroine find their way inside Bangladesh through this route. Navy, BGB must be relentless on Bangladesh side. Bangladesh must enter into serious dialogue with Myanmar for dealing with cross border drug trading at Bangladesh Myanmar border. It is alleged that a large number of Rohingya refuges are used as traffickers. But again they are mostly peddlers .The God Fathers are somewhere in safe haven.
If the source of supply can be effectively and credibly checked, traffickers, dealers and abusers can be better tracked and managed.
Bangladesh society unfortunately adopts the evil portion of western culture very rapidly. In well to do Bangladeshi families these days wines after meal is a like desert. Wines and alcohols are in everyday menu. I know few families in Dhaka and abroad who pray regularly but take wine after dinner and occasionally alcohols.
If the growing children of these families start taking drugs whom to blame? 
There are allegations that private universities and English medium school students are drawn into drugs relatively easily. What the academics are doing? Children’s of broken families are mostly vulnerable. Can we not introduce teaching social values, promoting anti-drug, anti-crime cultures in schools and colleges?
We have seen Hejab and Islamic cultures are spreading in the schools, colleges and universities. But then spread of drug abuse in educational institutions is contradictory developments. Something is very wrong somewhere.
Unplanned urbanizations indirectly create opportunities of drug abuse. Many slums in and around city center are dens dug abuse and illegal sex trading. Yaba and other drugs add fuel to fire. Can the slum living population be properly rehabilitated in specific locations and their income generation options be diversified?
NGOs, Social media and civil society are endeavoring. But their efforts are now gaining momentum as drug mafias rule the roost .Their hands are extended well beyond law enforcers.
It is high time we need a social resistance, a well-coordinated national drive for drug abuse eradication. The sooner it is done the better.
Let Shakib, Mushfiqur and Mashrafee take the lead in media to alert people against drug abuse. They are icons. They can appeal to younger generation in creating social resistance against drug abuse and related crime. I am sure their voice will be heard.
BDST: 1427 HRS, July 2, 2015
AKA
