DHAKA, Sept 24, 2018 (BSS/UNICEF FEATURE) – The hustle-bustle Rajshahi
city was becoming calm with the gradually growing night. Tired and exhausted
city dwellers were preparing to take rest while night guards were patrolling
the streets.
It was around midnight. Then three children aged between seven and 10
were seen busy to collect polythene at Rajshahi railway station.
They were roaming around the tea-stalls and looking for polythene left
out by customers as well as shop owners. At last, they succeeded to collect
it within a few moments.
As soon as they got the polythene, they went to a dark corner of the
station and sat on the floor in a circle with some other children who were
waiting there. Approaching towards them, the correspondent found they were
inhaling something from these polythene bags.
All the children, numbering around 7 to 8, got disturbed as a stranger
approached towards them and tried to talking to them. After building rapport,
the correspondent started talking to the children to know about their
activities.
The correspondent came to know that as a collective initiative, they buy
glue (solutions) from a sanitary or stationary shop. The glue is normally
used to repair or join leather or wooden goods.
After opening the cover of a solution packet, they kept it in a polythene
bag. Then they took the vapour of solution by inhaling and exhaling until it
was exhausted. The smoke which they were inhaling and exhaling is popularly
known as Dandy.
Sniffing glues is one of the favourite narcotics item to them because it
is available and cheaper, said 10-year-old Sharif Hossain, a member of the
glue sniffing team there.
After completing the glue, the children started behaving abnormally.
They were laughing loudly, scuffling one-another, using abusive words and so
on.
“We are flying in the sky. Now, we can do everything what we wish,” said
Anwar Hossain, another member of the gang.
“I came from a nearby district Noagoan around one year ago for
employment. Initially, I started working at a restaurant as a cleaner. But I
was terminated around six months ago over an allegation of stealing,” said
Anwar.
Later, he started collecting wastage from streets, dustbins, railway and
bus stations and from other places, he said, adding that during that time he
came in contact with Shariful Islam, a boy of the glue gang.
“Now we take Dandy regularly. It makes good feelings inside us. If we
fail to take it a day, our bodies feel different types of troubles,” said
Shairf Hossain, who has been taking Dandy for around one year.
Not only Anwar and Sharif, but also dozens of children got addicted to
Dandy in Rajshahi city.
There are around 6,000 street children in Rajshahi city. Most of them
take different kind of drugs, according to a study of Association for
Community Development (ACD) that works for community development at Rajshahi
region.
The association officials sought necessary actions from authorities
concerned to prevent the children from being drug addicted.
Manzur Quader, district Children Affairs Officer in Rajshahi, said they
were conducting programmes to rehabilitate the street children and bring them
back to normal life.
Many children from slums of Shaheb Bazar, Bhodra, Boharampur and nearby
areas have already been rehabilitated through Shishu Bikash Kendra (SBK), he
added.
Talking to the correspondent, Lutfar Rahman, deputy director of
Department of Narcotics Control (DNC) at Rajshahi region, said they are
working to wipe out drug materials from markets so that children cannot get
it available.
He also stressed the need for public awareness to protect children from
being addicted, he added.
Dr Mahbubur Rahman of Medicine Department of Rajshahi Medical College
Hospital, said children’s kidney, lung and other parts of body can severely
be damaged due to taking drugs.
He stressed the need for launching social movement to prevent the
nuisance.