The government has undertaken initiatives to cure drug addicts and bring them back to normal life through various vocational trainings and modern treatments.
Various survey reports show that the number of drug addicts is increasing, both in urban and rural areas. As a result, a large section of the youth is addicted to drugs and is involved in various criminal activities.
Surprisingly the trend of drug addiction is also noticed among women and children. In this context, the government is going to launch a project for giving the world standard treatments for drug addicts to bring them back to normal life.
The project titled, “Expansion and Modernization of Dhaka Central Drug Addiction Treatment Center,” has been proposed to the Planning Commission, a planning commission official said. The cost of its implementation has been estimated at Tk 167.22 crore,” he added.
“If approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec), the project will be jointly implemented by the Department of Narcotics Control and the Department of Public Works between this year and December 2023,” he mentioned.
In this case, rehabilitation activities of an additional 150 beds including de-toxification activities of 100 beds will be started at soon.
In addition, extensive training activities on drug treatment and rehabilitation will be conducted to create specialist and skilled manpower.
Besides, the concerned people are hoping that the centre will be turned into a national institution by providing various vocational training to the drug addicted people.
The main activities under the project are construction of 19,419.52 sq m drug addiction treatment and training center, renovation and upward expansion of drug addiction rehabilitation center, outdoor electrification, purchase of furniture, water supply and health provision, construction of fire prevention system and medical equipment of hospital.
The working paper of the PEC meeting signed by Md Ubaidul Haque, the Joint Head of the Physical Infrastructure Department of the Planning Commission, said that the project is included in the list of unapproved new projects not allocated in the Annual Development Program (ADP) for the current fiscal year.
According to the project proposal, a non-paying ward with 441 beds in Dhaka, a 25-bed non-paying ward in Tejgaon industrial area and a 15-bed paying ward in Gulshan area were set up in 1988 under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
In 1990, the rehabilitation center at Tejgaon Industrial Area was transferred to the Department of Narcotics Control and declared as a Central Drug Addiction Rehabilitation Center to carry out more supervision and coordination of drug supply and demand reduction programs under the same body.
Initially it had 25 beds, of which 10 were non-paying and 15 were paying.
On 10 December 2013, the Ministry of Home Affairs increased the number of beds for drug addicted street children from 10 to 50 beds.
Besides, a five-bed regional drug addiction treatment center was officially launched in the divisional cities of Chittagong, Rajshahi and Khulna.
The proposal said the number of drug addicts in the country is increasing day by day as a result of the growing spread of illegal trafficking and abuse of drugs.
According to sources, the number of drug addicts in the country is estimated at 7 million or more.
Eighty percent of drug addicts are young people between the ages of 15 and 35. A large section of the youth has fallen prey to drug addiction and is involved in various criminal activities.
Drug abuse is on the rise among women and children. According to a study, 5 percent of drug addicts are women. About 90 percent of female drug addicts are between the ages of 15 and 35. Besides, 10 lakh to 15 lakh street children of the country are addicted to drugs.
