Drug abuse cannot be eradicated by punishment alone, says Mirza Fakhrul

Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Adviser and BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has said that drug abuse cannot be eliminated through law enforcement or punishment alone, stressing the need for a strong social movement involving people from all walks of life.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday (July 28) after an anti-drug awareness meeting at the Thakurgaon Deputy Commissioner's Office, Fakhrul said the programme was aimed at raising public awareness and building social resistance against drug abuse.

He said the government has already launched a nationwide drive against narcotics, but the initiative can only succeed if people from every sector actively participate.

According to him, there is no alternative to turning the anti-drug campaign into a broad-based social movement.

Fakhrul expressed hope that the measures being implemented in Thakurgaon would produce positive results. However, he emphasised that the success of those efforts depends on the active cooperation of local residents and all relevant stakeholders.

He also said that the devastating impact of drugs on individuals, families and society must be communicated more widely.

Raising public awareness and strengthening social resistance, he added, are the most effective ways to curb drug abuse.

The meeting was attended by Thakurgaon Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Rafiqul Haque, Superintendent of Police Belal Hossain, Thakurgaon District BNP President and Bangladesh Cricket Board Director Mirza Faisal Amin, District BNP General Secretary Paigam Ali, as well as officials from the administration, law enforcement agencies and political leaders.