Social Welfare and Women and Children Affairs Minister Prof. Dr. AZM Zahid Hossain addressed a seminar at AUST in the capital today as the chief guest. Photo: PID

DHAKA, June 21, 2026(BSS) - Social Welfare and Women and Children Affairs Minister Prof Dr AZM Zahid Hossain today called for taking international standard science-based and integrated approaches to protect the youth from the curses of drug abuse.

"We should not keep the emphasize on the efforts of fear-based or prohibition-oriented campaigns alone in this regard," he said while addressing a seminar at Prof Dr. M.H. Khan Auditorium of Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology (AUST) here as the chief guest.

The seminar on 'Evidence-Based Initiatives for Youth Drug Prevention' was organized by the AUST with the support from Dhaka Ahsania Mission and the Bangladesh Chapter of the International Society of Substance Use Professionals (ISSUP), marking the observance of the 'International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking-2026.

Highlighting the importance of coordinated efforts in building a drug-free society, the minister stressed the collective roles of government institutions, educational establishments, families and social organizations.

"We must build a social movement involving all sectors of the society to eliminate drugs from the country. Only then we can establish a humane and prosperous country," he said.

The minister also noted that the ministry of social welfare and the ministry of women and children affairs are implementing various initiatives to equip the youth with practical skills through education, training and capacity-building programs. 

He added that the national budget has allocated the highest level of resources toward poverty reduction while also prioritizing improvements in healthcare services.

The keynote speech was delivered by Director of Health of the Dhaka Ahsania Mission and General Secretary of the ISSUP Bangladesh Chapter Iqbal Masud.

In his speech Masud stated that there is an urgent need to shift from the punitive approaches toward recovery-oriented rehabilitation for young people affected by or vulnerable to substance use. He also called for taking a scientific reassessment of existing activities by the Department of Narcotics Control (DNC) for evaluating the effectiveness of current prevention interventions.

Speaking as a special guest, Director General of the DNC Md. Hasan Maruf said that the law enforcement alone is insufficient to eradicate drug abuse.

"The DNC is currently placing greater emphasis on scientific research to assess the effectiveness of prevention programs at the field level. In line with international standards, coordinated participation by government agencies, non-governmental development organizations and educational institutions is essential to safeguarding young people," he said.

Another special guest, Prof Dr MA Mohit Kamal, Chairman of the ISSUP Bangladesh Chapter, highlighted the importance of identifying adverse childhood experiences in promoting the mental well-being of the young people.

Vice President of Dhaka Ahsania Mission Dr SM Khalilur Rahman urged the youth to stay away from drugs, noting that drug abuse is not merely a law-and-order issue but also a significant public health concern. 

He recommended piloting internationally recognized prevention programs through public-private partnership (PPP) models.

In his presidential address, AUST Vice Chancellor Prof Dr. Md. Ashraful Haque called for taking collective efforts to create drug-free campuses and a healthy society.

The seminar was attended by representatives from various government and non-government organizations, public health experts and researchers.