& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

BITTER TRUTH

Drug fuelled crimes

MD. ASADULLAH KHAN
THE menacing cloud of drug abuse and drug trafficking looms large in the country, but we seem to be incapable of stemming the tide of this scourge. The various types of drugs available in considerable quantities spell disaster forthe country. In a nation that espouses adherence to religious principles, commitment to piety and
strict code of life, drug addiction has emerged as the dark side of our character. The country, it seems, is awash with this 'giver of euphoria and taker of life.'
The gruesome killing of a couple, allegedly by their addict daughter, is another pathetic reminder of the clandestine use of yaba that is taking a heavy toll. Although the daughter reportedly admitted in her confessional statement that she alone killed her parents, people are least inclined to believe that the murders could be committed by her alone. The killing of the couple is a sign that drug-fuelled crime is now spreading even among young girls.
It is hard to believe and harder still to com-
prehend that such macabre brutality could be committed only because the parents wanted to protect their child from drugs and derailment. This is a sad reflection of the breakdown of societal norms, and has awakened the country to the beast that has broken loose in some of our pampered teens. Statistics show an upsurgein the most violent types of crimes committed by teens under the influence of drugs.
The number of addicts, as revealed in a survey by the UNDP and some NGOs, has swelled to 65 lakhs from 10 lakhs in 1996. Most alarmingly, some 1 lakh 50 thousand women are now hooked to drugs. Drug traders have expanded their business, pushing young men and women belonging to low, middle and higher income families into drug addiction.
Many of the thousands of poor people who flock to the capital city in search of jobs turn to crime to make a living. They work under the protection and patronage of some influential godfathers who run the drug business but have always evaded arrest because of high connections and money dealings.
Not only in the slums but also in posh areas of the city, addicts gather and consume various types of drugs including yaba, which is mostly used by upper class trend-conscious addicts.
The crackdown on drug barons in a posh area of the city in 2007, with seizure of about 1,30,000 tablets of yaba, and the arrest of four kids belonging to some very affluent families along with a drug lord,
exposed the ugly side of wealth and power.
As the crackdown revealed, it is a blossoming trade involving mainly the rich and young, who themselves use it and encourage children coming from the wealthy class to use it. Yaba, it appears, has replaced other drugs as the favoured social lubricant among affluenturban Bangladeshis who largely view it as a recreational or good time high. Reports say there are 15,000 yaba circles and 500 yaba syndicates in the city. They induce the gullible ones with one yaba tablet free of cost in the beginning as a business trick. And the business then spreads.
Drugs are as much an enemy as an 'aggressive foreign power,' and as much a scourge as poverty, violence, street crime, lassitude of
youth and unemployment. What is urgently called for is a war against drugs to save our dearest ones.
Not surprisingly, the most devastating impact of drug addiction and drug dealings is a rise in violent crimes, not just extortion, mugging and robberies. Dhaka city's homi-cide rates have gone up several times, and expert analysis says that almost 70% of the violence is credited to getting or using drugs.
Our experience over the years suggests that many crimes are fuelled by drug abuse. Experts point to deep-seated causes that produce a continued craving for drugs, like lack of community feeling, disintegration of the family bond, moral vacuum, the relentless pressure to perform in a fast paced society, etc.
For a nation that has always prided itself on waging war against evils, the crackdown on drugs has become the latest priority. As revealed by newspaper reports, drug addiction has become an epidemic, and the fear that has seized the nation is hardly unwarranted. The government must launch a massive drug education campaign and nationwide drive for drug-free parks, marketplaces, hotels, restaurants and, most of all, schools, colleges and universities.
In a large measure, it is the responsibility of the parents to step up restoration of our moral values that seem to be eroding fast. Many parents, especially mothers, are not giving enough time in raising their children, while the father remains busy with his work or
business. Many who are affluent are given to habits that transgress the limits of our traditional social norms and family values, alienating the children from the family and making them disillusioned.
Many teenagers belonging to affluent section of the society, studying in schools, col-leges and universities, are hooked to drugs. Some even do drug dealing. In many cases parents are aware of the derailment of their children but they cannot assert and exercise control over them because of the lifestyle they themselves lead.
In a bid to finding solutions to these problems, we must fulfil our commitments to our children. Only when we realise that we are hurting the dependent members of the society through excessive access to wealth will we begin to deal realistically with this menacing problem. The other reason for drug abuse and drug trafficking is the social inequity that exists because of joblessness and poverty.
The problems can't be solved by advancing the argument that those who can't control children must not have them. Rather, parental rights must be evenly balanced by parental responsibility. The government must involve parents in the educational process. Youngsters need more of their parents' time, and they need to know that society cares about them.
Sadly true, a life of privilege can also be corrupting. Children who have everything given to them may come to believe that they are entitled to everything, that they are above their fellow human beings and above the law. The result is that they do not get the nurturing, guidance and supervision necessary to instil a set of values and a proper code of behaviour. Above all, parents should take a long, hard look in the mirror. The values of today's youth are merely magnified reflections of the values of their elders.
The writer is a columnist of The Dally Star.
E-mail: naslmhaque2000@yahoo.com