Centres for drug addicts on cards

The government will set up correction centres for drug addicts in all district headquarters while jail authorities will also take measures in this regard, said Home Minister Shahara Khatun yesterday.
She was addressing a press briefing at her secretariat office in the city following a meeting of National Narcotics Control Board where Home Secretary Monzur Hossain, State Minster for Religious Affairs Shahjahan Miah and lawmaker Tarana Halim were present.
Shahara said the government is recruiting staff and procuring necessary equipment for Narcotics Control Department as it has been facing setbacks due to the poor state of these two sectors for the last 40 years.
“Drug smuggling is a transnational crime for which we are working with other counties to check the practice across the borders,” she said, adding that drugs are trafficked into the country over roads, water and even air.
Till 2011, 44,488 cases were waiting to be disposed of in courts. Moreover, it is difficult to convince witnesses to appear in drug related cases, making case disposals time consuming, she said.
Shahara said a mere legal bar is not enough to contain such crimes as it needs mass awareness programmes through newspapers, television channels and radios.