The Minister of Local Government, Rural Development, and Co-operative (LGRD), Md Tazul Islam stressed the need of a coordinated effort to end drug abuse permanently in his keynote speech at a round table discussion on "Drug Addiction: Crime or Mental Disease and its Remedy" held at the CIRDAP Auditorium on Wednesday.
Highlighting the origins of the drug problem, Tazul Islam pointed out that drugs enter Bangladesh from neighbouring countries, emphasising the importance of halting their influx. He stressed the identification and legal prosecution of individuals involved in drug trafficking to effectively curb supply routes.
Advocating for a robust social movement against drugs, the minister proposed integrating anti-drug education into school curricula and promoting healthy lifestyles through extracurricular activities.
He underscored the necessity of raising awareness about the physical and mental repercussions of drug abuse among the general populace.
Addressing urban issues contributing to drug addiction, Minister Tazul Islam suggested allocating adequate resources for entertainment and sports facilities in city planning.
He recommended that a significant portion of city development plans should be dedicated to fostering community spaces and recreational activities to deter youth from drug use.
The round table meeting, chaired by Brig Gen Md Azizul Islam and organised by Athena Limited, was attended by Member of Parliament Zara Jabeen Mahbub, Director General of Narcotics Control Department Khandakar Mostafizur Rahman, veteran journalist Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, renowned physician Arup Ratan Choudhury, and other distinguished guests.
