The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Dhaka

The number of drug addicts in the country is 25 lakh and the annual expenditure for narcotics is about Taka 8,000 crore.

On an average, a drug addict spends Taka 87 a day on narcotics, and the total expenditure in a month in the country is Taka 656 crore, according to sources in Narcotics Control Department and private organisations working against narcotics.

According to surveys conducted by private organisations, the number of youth aged between 15 and 29 years are more among the drug addicts which is 85 per cent of the total number. Fifty-five per cent of the addicts are unmarried.

Among the drug addicts, 43 percent completed seven to 12 years in education, and 25 percent from one to six years in education.

Thirty-six percent of the addicts are unemployed who become addicted out of frustration while 25 percent do regular jobs. Twelve per cent of the addicts are students.

Former Chairman of Law Department in Dhaka University, Prof Azizur Rahman Chowdhury said, in a essay, there are allegations of law breaking against 44 per cent of the drug addicts.

According to sources, the money spent on narcotics in a year is enough to construct two big bridges like the Jamuna Bridge every year.

The whole volume of narcotics in the country comes through the borders. Wine, ganja, heroine, phensydil, yaba are smuggled into the country through the vast borders with India and Myanmar. The trade in narcotics has become easy in the last 10 years for availability of mobile phones.

The officials of Narcotics Control Department become helpless at times in the face of modern network of the narcotics smuggling syndicates.

However, drives against narcotics are going on during the present caretaker government.

The government is working with a firm determination to eliminate narcotics from the country, said director general of Narcotics Control Department, M Humayun Kabir. Efforts are on to determine work- plans to find out those involved in trading of narcotics, he told the BSS.

Replying to a question, he said it is possible to eliminate narcotics in the country with the concerted efforts of all.

Stressing the need for creation of social awareness, Humayun Kabir said along with the law enforcers, socio-cultural organisations, NOGs, imams of mosques, local government representatives and media personnel should have to come forward to contain the drug menace.