Md. Al Amin

Drug addiction is as a matter of fact one kind of zeal for an illegal and harmful thing, which spoils a drug addict's life gradually. Besides, it opens the doors of unethical activities step by step. It’s also a great obstacle to peace, order, and security because the reaction of taking a drug is horrible and deplorable according to media reports and concerned specialists. Besides, drugs are also responsible for many criminal activities like rape, snatching, killing, extortion, eve-teasing, robbery, theft, and so on in the human society.

Smoking is also another way of being addicted to perilous drugs gradually according to media reports and relevant specialists. The drug addicted people can easily commit any crime because they are mentally and physically abnormal after taking drugs. As a result, they also involve themselves in unethical and unlawful activities like rape and killing, etc. It’s also an alarming matter that most of the drug addicts in Bangladesh are students, teenagers, street children, and unemployed youths. As a conscious citizen, I think that a drug addict is not only an unlucky person but also an icon of unbearable disturbance to others. Now, let's pay our attention to Oishee, another notorious name of a drug addict in Bangladesh.

Oishee Rahman, a daughter of Mahfuzur Rahman and Swapna Rahman, used to lead a desperate life because her father was a very powerful police officer though all police officer's children are not bad and desperate. But she became addicted to drugs slowly after mixing the bad boys in the society. Thus, she became obstinate, uncontrolled, and inconsiderate. Consequently, she killed her parents in 2013 because they tried to protect her from the clutches of terrible drugs. Now, she is in a jail of Bangladesh where she is suffering from the punishment of her sin as a repentant criminal. This painful incident of killing parents shook our conscience largely. For this reason, I could not but mention her as a terrible instance of a drug addict here. As a Bangladeshi columnist, I think that drug addiction is also enough to spoil the golden dreams of parents.

Now, let's see the statistics or report of killing parents in Bangladesh. According to a online report of a well-known daily on 26 June 2024, about 200 parents were killed by their sons and daughters (drug addicts) in last ten years. Besides, the people of different ages are going astray because of the availability of horrible drugs. Many Rohingya refugees are also involved in drug trades and other criminal activities.

In this way, our respective societies are becoming unsafe and suffocating day by day. Moreover, the number of drug addicts is increasing in Bangladesh alarmingly although the zero tolerance policy against drugs was declared. It’s also a matter of anxiety that clever drug traders use “a section of jail guards and officials” differently to sell dangerous drugs to the inmates of jails according to different media reports. Bangladesh is a special country of South Asia where a vicious circle is busy in fulfilling its evil purposes by spreading narcotics or drugs everywhere.

The vicious circle consists of drug traders, their godfathers, and accomplices though there are also many ominous forces in our country. Many political leaders also control the drug trades in our country in conformity with many media reports. Consequently, drugs are being found not only in cities but also in villages easily. Our future generation will also fall in a greater danger unless the expansion of narcotics is stopped soon. Narcotics or drugs are enough to cripple youths’ force alarmingly because they damage youngsters physically and mentally.

Besides, the overall development of a country is impossible without the help of youngsters. The number of drug addiction treatment and rehabilitation centres in Bangladesh is inadequate. Relevant authorities should solve this crisis as soon as possible. Besides, continuing Dupe Test regularly is essential for identifying the drug addicts in different sectors. The students of different colleges and universities are the main targets of drug traders. It is learnt from various media reports that many dishonest and irresponsible members of law enforcement agencies including their informers are greatly involved in drug trades.

The people of different ages also involve themselves in drug trades to be rich overnight because selling drugs like yaba, heroin, and so on is very profitable. Cunning drug traders also use social media to sell their deadly drugs. That’s why, concerned authorities should also monitor social media carefully and regularly to arrest drug traders and their accomplices. Moreover, narcotics are available because they also enter into Bangladesh from neighboring countries.

The Department of Narcotics Control (DNC), BGB, RAB, police, Bangladesh Coast Guard, and intelligence agencies are also playing vital and fearless roles in controlling the spread of drugs and arresting “drug traders and their accomplices”. Their outstanding attempts to maintain peace, order, and security are undeniable. It’s also a matter of anxiety that RAB, DB, and police informers inform drug traders (criminals) of the law enforcers’ raids or operations. As a result, drug traders often escape and law enforcers are sometimes incapable of arresting them. It’s learnt from different media reports that informers often use the dishonest, irresponsible, and inconsiderate members of the RAB, DB and police to endanger innocent people. Besides, informers are becoming more desperate day by day. As a Bangladeshi columnist, I think that exemplary punishment is essential for stopping the frequent misdeeds of the informants of the RAB, DB, and police.

The persons who are the accomplices of drug traders or criminals must be punished as soon as possible. Otherwise, our holy aims to establish a safe and peaceful human society will be unsuccessful. Now, let's look at some media reports to know lurid information regarding unlawful activities: I. The online report of The Business Standard on 11 Sep. 2022 also gives us sensational information regarding criminal activities. From this report, it’s learnt that a Dhaka court sent the three people including ASI Mahbubul Alam of Pallabi Police Station to jail in a case filed over their alleged attempt to frame one innocent man in a drug case by putting yaba tablets into his pocket.

The three accuseds were able to stop pedestrian Khalilur Rahman near Cantonment Rail Station. ASI Mahbubul was capable of putting a packet of yaba tablets into Khalilur's pocket after taking it from one of his informants. Though he detained Khalilur from Khilkhet area, he showed Khalilur arrested at his police station. This unexpected and dirty incident also denotes the misuse of power and forgery. It also shook our conscience greatly at that time.

Therefore, concerned authorities should be more dutiful to stop the repetition of this kind of offence in near future. II. Police informants also sell yaba, hemp, phensedyl, etc. openly in accordance with a online report of Jugantor on 7 June 2023. They often torture and harass the simple and innocent people of the society differently. III. Police informants are involved in drug trades and take a part of seized drugs as their “source money” from the relevant policemen in conformity with a online report of Ittefaq on 18 July 2023. Besides, informants harass innocent people by adding their names to drug cases. They also inform other drug traders of the news of law enforcers' upcoming raids.

As a result, drug traders often save themselves. IV. Now, let's know the sources of dangerous drugs that are available in Bangladesh. Cannabis, heroin, phensedyl, buprenorphine injection, and tapentadol tablets enter into Bangladesh from India; and yaba and ICE from Myanmar; and cocaine and LSD from South America and Europe in conformity with a online report of Dhaka Tribune on 4 March 2024. V. According to a online report of a private TV channel on 26 June 2024, the number of drug addicts in Bangladesh is at least 1 (one) crore.

It’s clear that Prof. Dr. Arup Ratan Chowdhury, founder president of the MANAS, also admitted it in the published report. Besides, the MANAS is a non-government association for the prevention of drug abuse. As a Bangladeshi columnist, I think that peace, order, and security are impossible without ensuring accountability everywhere.

The persons of different ages including students and unemployed youths become drug addicts because of bad company, disappointment, failure, curiosity, degerate culture, the availability of horrible drugs, etc. To ensure the border security of Bangladesh is also essential for stopping the frequent consignments of the perilous drugs of India, Myanmar, and so on.

Otherwise, our country will be beset with dangerous drugs and deadly problems. So, it’s high time to continue anti-drug campaigns everywhere regularly and implement the zero tolerance policy against drugs for a safe and peaceful human society.

The writer is a popular Bangladeshi columnist having a master’s degree in English Language and Literature from Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam University