Social Welfare, and Women and Children Affairs Minister AZM Zahid Hossain on Sunday called for integrated and evidence-based preventive initiatives to protect young people from the harmful effects of drugs.

He said drug control efforts should not be confined to law enforcement or fear-based campaigns alone, stressing that effective prevention requires evidence-based, integrated and long-term measures.

The minister made the remarks while addressing a seminar titled “Evidence-Based Initiatives for Youth Drug Prevention” as the chief guest at Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology (AUST) in the capital, marking International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking 2026.

The seminar was organised jointly by AUST, Dhaka Ahsania Mission and the International Society of Substance Use Professionals (ISSUP) Bangladesh Chapter.

Highlighting the coordinated role of the government, educational institutions, families and social organisations in building a drug-free society, Zahid Hossain said, “To free the country from the scourge of drugs, we must build a social movement involving all sections of society. Only then we can establish a humane and welfare-oriented Bangladesh.”

He said various initiatives have been undertaken by the Ministry of Social Welfare and the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs to enhance the skills and capacities of young people through education, training and practical skill development.

The minister also noted that the national budget has placed the highest priority to poverty reduction and improving the quality of healthcare services.

Presenting the keynote paper, Iqbal Masud, director of the health sector at Dhaka Ahsania Mission and general secretary of the ISSUP Bangladesh Chapter, underscored the importance of workplace- and school-based prevention programmes in line with the United Nations International Standards on Drug Use Prevention, the Oviedo Convention and science-based behaviour change models.

He said replacing punitive approaches with rehabilitation and recovery-oriented services for drug-dependent or at-risk young people has become an urgent necessity, calling for a scientific review and evaluation of the existing prevention activities of the Department of Narcotics Control.

Speaking as special guest, Director General of the Department of Narcotics Control Md Hasan Maruf said law enforcement alone is insufficient to address the drug problem.

He said the department is placing considerable emphasis on scientific research to assess the effectiveness of preventive interventions and stressed the need for active participation of non-governmental organisations and educational institutions alongside government initiatives to protect young people from drug-related risks.

In his speech, Dr MA Mohit Kamal, chairman of the ISSUP Bangladesh Chapter, highlighted the importance of identifying adverse childhood experiences in shaping the mental health of young people.

Dr SM Khalilur Rahman, vice president of Dhaka Ahsania Mission, urged young people to stay away from drugs, saying the issue is not merely a law-and-order concern but also a public health challenge. He called for piloting international programmes through public-private partnerships.

AUST Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Md Ashraful Haque, who presided over the programme, called for collective efforts to build a drug-free campus and a healthy society.

Representatives from various government and on-government organisations, public health experts, researchers and students attended the seminar.