The New Nation - Internet Edition

Treatment and rehabilitation of drug addicts are important to combat crime. Due to easy access to drugs it has spread widely as a serious social disease. At present, 20,000, out of about 50,000 drug addicts in the country, take drugs through syringes.

Speakers said this at the inaugural ceremony or the 3rd 40-bed free Drug Addiction Treatment and Rehabilitation Center of Dhaka Ahsania Mission (DAM) with the financial and technical support or Family Health International at 32-34 Johnson Road of old Dhaka on September 3.

Speakers further said that DAM has given free drug addiction treatment to 1459 addicts and helped their rehabilitation in old Dhaka and Mymensingh from 2005 with the financial and technical support of Family Health International. Out of the drug addicts who received free treatment from the mission, majority of them have returned to normal life.

Meanwhile, 96 persons have been provided with jobs, technical training were given to 939 persons and 33 HIV patients have been provided with free drug addiction treatment and service. Moreover, Ahsania Mission is going to start a drug addiction treatment and rehabilitation centre for the female in the capital this year.

Additional Secretary of the Home Ministry Dr Sheikh Abdur Rashid, who was the chief guest inaugurated the treatment center. Presided over by DAM Program Director Shafiqul Islam, Family Health International Country Director Misti McDowell was present as special guest and DAM Assistant Director AKM Abdur Razzak, Project Manager Iqbal Masud and Family Health International Program Officer Sheikh Jahangir Hossain were present on the occasion.

It may be mentioned that DAM has been operating one 100-bed treatment centre at Gazipur, one 60-bed free treatment centre at Johnson Road in old Dhaka and one 35-bed rehabilitation and treatment centre in Mymensing town. Since 1990 DAM has been conducting anti-drug activities through 402 sub committees in 150 upazilas of 54 districts in Bangladesh.