Right activists at a discussion in Rajshahi on Saturday underscored the need for raising social awareness to combat drug addiction and trafficking.
They also stressed rehabilitation of the drug addicts to bring them back to a happy, healthy and peaceful life.
They demanded that the government should allocate funds for the organisations working to check drug addiction and trying to rehabilitate the addicts.
Non-governmental organisation Banchte Chai Society organised the programme at Young King Community Centre in the city marking International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking in the afternoon.
The speakers said it was very alarming that at present drug addiction had become widespread irrespective of educated and illiterate, rich and poor, teachers and students.
About 50 to 60 lakh people of the country are drug addicts, they told the discussion, adding that the government must rehabilitate them as they were a part of society.
There are 200 centres working to rehabilitate drug addicts in the country and at present 2500 addicts are taking service in the centres, they said.
The speakers said at present the injecting drug users were creating grave concern among the government and non-government organisations and these people were in high HIV/AIDS risk.
Rajshahi civil surgeon Shahidul Islam addressed the discussion as chief guest while Anowar Hossain, president of Banchte Chai Society, was in the chair.
The programme was also addressed, among others, by the deputy director of Narcotic Department Rajshahi sub-region Moloy Vushan Chakrabartee, coordinator of Bangladesh Rehabilitation and Assistance Centre for Addicts Bakul Francis Kosta and coordinator of Banchte Chai Society Shamsul Kaonain.
Representative of civil society, newsmen from electronic and print media, social welfare activists also took part in an open discussion as part of the programme.
Source : New Age
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