Youth on the Verge of Destruction Due to Drugs
Abu Hena Mukti
Ten districts in the southwest of Bangladesh are facing a serious drug epidemic. Khulna, Satkhira, Jashore, Narail, and Bagerhat are most affected, as drugs including heroin, cannabis, yaba, and phensedyl are spreading from towns to remote villages. Roughly 70% of young people in the area, mostly teens and wealthy students, are struggling with addiction. A continuous supply of illegal drugs is facilitated by strategic trafficking routes, including border crossings at Benapole and Satkhira, coastal routes, and entrance points through Mongla and Rampal. Due to its broad availability, criminal activity is on the rise, social security is being disrupted, marital conflict is shattering families, and a new generation is being driven toward moral destruction.
Retail drug networks use direct in-person transactions, home delivery, and cell phone coordination to target college and school kids openly. Yaba pills cost between 200 and 300 BDT, whereas cannabis packages retail for 200 BDT, which increases demand among youths. Parents are extremely afraid and nervous to file official complaints against dealers due to the participation of members of reputable families in the selling network and the growth of mobile gaming. As a result, local communities watch helplessly as young boys and students fall into addiction, and new traffickers continue to appear uncontrolled.
While law enforcement does occasionally carry out anti-drug operations, concerned individuals and impacted groups claim that big masterminds are frequently supported by specific government figures and remain mostly unpunished. Regular police and administrative meetings, according to critics, produce little in the way of concrete outcomes, with participants providing empty statements rather than practical answers. The illegal trade has made local drug lords instant billionaires despite these regulatory measures. Community members argue that without a coordinated, forceful strategy to destroy the financial networks supporting these massive activities, full containment is still impossible.
Md. Mostafizur Rahman, the Khulna Range DIG, told Daily Inqilab that creating a strong societal opposition is crucial to preventing the present generation from falling into the terrible trap of drugs. He pointed out that every relevant party, including local politicians and journalists, has been asked to support law enforcement by providing crucial information. Mr. Rahman emphasized that police agencies are actively carrying out strict operations to eliminate drugs from the area and apprehend dealers.
Public officials and political leaders must take the lead in community-driven activities, according to community activists and conscientious individuals, who stress that law enforcement cannot resolve the issue on its own. Authorities must diligently seek out both high-level masterminds and low-level vendors to save the youth, according to families and affected circles. The southwest area can only expect to end the cycle of addiction and reconstruct a secure, drug-free society by combining strict administrative enforcement, political responsibility, and strong grassroots resistance.
