DHAKA:  The number of drug addicts in the country is rising alarmingly, as a survey conducted by the United Nations on the situation of Bangladesh found some 65 lakh addicts.

Of them, 87 percent are men and 13 percent women.

Over one lakh people, including the influential quarters, women and children, in many ways, have been involved in the drug trading.

A number of surveys conducted by different international organizations ahead of the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking also painted the same shocking picture on drug use.

The day was observed Saturday in the country as elsewhere around the world with chalking out various programmes. This year’s theme for the day is ‘Youth folk and health’ while the slogan ‘Think about health, refrain from drugs’.
   
According to the Department of Narcotics Control (DNC), there are some 46 lakh drug addicts in Bangladesh. Most of them are young.

Among the addicts, 91 percent are adolescents and youths while 45 percent unemployed, 65 percent undergraduates and 15 percent are highly educated.

As per the statistics of Family Health International, the number of injecting drug users is about 1 lakh who are under the high risk of HIV virus infection.

There is no specific statistics with the law-enforcing agencies of how much money is siphoned off the country to smuggle in drugs.

A number of officials of different organizations told the banglanews24.com.bd correspondent that over Tk 10,000 crore goes down the drain from the country every year through drug trade.

But, the Family Health International statistics show every year different types of drugs worth about TK 347 crore, including phensidyl syrup worth TK 220 crore, are smuggled into the country.

About 60 percent drug addicts get involved in various crimes to collect money for buying drugs.

An Intelligence source said law enforcers could seize only 10 percent of the total smuggled drugs annually.

Rapid Action Battalion sources said the elite force seized 460,034 bottles of phensidyl syrup, 14,025 bottles of foreign liquors, 35,708 cans of bear, 2,842kg ganja, 42,284 pieces of Yaba tablet, 34.175kg heroin and about 58,000 ampoules of injection in 2001. Some 5,591 people were arrested during the period in connection with drug trading.

Paramilitary BDR sources said the big consignments of drugs are mainly brought in from neighbouring country. Smugglers use 512 points of different borders for brining the drugs despite strong vigilance by the border guards.

At present, about 30,000 drug-related cases are pending with different courts. In most of the cases, the alleged drug traders get released for want of eyewitnesses.

The DNC has prepared a list of 116 influential drug traders who mainly control the country’s drug underworld. But, the ‘godfathers’ of the field-level peddlers remained untouched.

Smugglers bring some 32 types of drugs into the country, including heroin, ganja, liquor, beer, rectified spirits, phensidyl, pathedine and yaba tablet.

A source close to the law-enforcing agencies said thousands of identified drug traders are controlling 500 “drug spots”.

The DNC has only 59 officials and employees in the metropolitan area to keep vigil on the big drug syndicates.

Deputy-director of the Department for Dhaka Metro area Mujibur Rahman Patwary said, “We are struggling to conduct drive against the drug peddlers due mainly to shortage of manpower and vehicles.      
BDST 1550 hrs June 26, 2010
SRR/RS/LY/MUA