Rajshahi district law-and-order committee identifies drug peddling as major cause of rising addiction and crime. Photo : BSS

RAJSHAHI, Aug 9, 2026 (BSS) – The district law and order committee today identified drug peddling to be causing increased addiction phenomenon resulting in a growing crisis in this northwestern city, agreeing to take extra measures to fight the menace.

Officials said a committee meeting chaired by Deputy Commissioner Kazi Shahidul Islam noted the menace was driving a section of teen agers to get engaged in various criminal activities alongside exposing their families to miseries.

They said the meeting discussed ways to prevent drug abuse, extortion and gangsterism, footpath encroachments and suggested CCTV coverage of the city for security reasons.

Lawmakers Professor Nazrul Islam, MP and Advocate Shafiqul Haque Milon were among those who joined the meeting along with officials and representatives of various government and private institutions and social figures.

Police superintendent Mohammad Naimul Hasan, Civil Surgeon Dr Raziul Karim and other concerned officials attended the meeting.

Advocate Milon, MP, told the meeting currently the overall law and order situation was largely under control but the menace of drug peddling and abuse was very high.

“This is not a concern which is being discussed here, rather it appeared as a menace throughout the country but steps were being taken countrywide to prevent the menace,” he said.

He said that the parliament by now toughened the drug law to expose highest possible punishment for drug dealers, drug lords and even users.

Shafiqul Haque said that the main drug dealers often manage to keep them out of the reach of the law enforcement agencies taking the advantage of manpower shortage.

“Drug dealers have become reckless,” he commented.

The lawmaker said the government was working to infuse a sense a sense of professionalism in police forces through retraining and counseling to overcome the damage they suffered during the July Uprising.

Haque called for taking social initiatives to prevent drug peddling and its use at every neighbourhooods, union, municipality, thana and level.

The MP said that new drugs are entering the country, many of whose names are not even known to members of law enforcement agencies.

There is a need to set up specialized institutions to learn about and research these drugs and effective measures to excpose to justice the main drug dealers.

The deputy commissioner Kazi Shahidul Islam assured the meeting of taking necessary measures considering the various complaints and suggestions raised in the meeting.