To let a society grow in a free and purposeful manner, its members, for instance humans, need to stay on guard against drugs and militancy. Both the scourges thwart the society’s march towards prosperity and progress. In Bangladesh, the present government’s crackdown on both the plagues has borne good results. Yet, the fight is not over as we cannot confidently say the society is completely protected against these problems. The government should keep on its fight while awareness, the most effective weapon against drug and militancy, should be built among the common people to come out successful in the battle.
After the prime minister received enormous local and international commendation for her ‘zero tolerance’ policy against militancy and terrorism, she declared an open war against the illegal trade and use of drugs. To become successful in this war too, the country needs to continue a parallel battle on sleaze and against self-serving politicians and legislators irrespective of their party identity. In society, the menace of drug addiction has taken an awful shape. The intensity of drug addiction is easily perceived when we see how our younger generations are largely affected by this suicidal habit that discourages one to do anything creative, kills one’s talent and ultimately makes one live dead, let alone to what degree it harms one’s health.
It goes without saying that the threats drug addiction poses, in every single means, to society must be handled with utmost sincerity and sternness. Drug trafficking and abuse damages the potentials of a nation on the one hand, while the illegal money, on the other, earned through it is spent behind terror financing, posing a serious threat of rise of militancy and terrorism. It is alarming that Bangladesh is used as a safe route of illegal drug trade to other neighbor states. Many anti-drug organizations globally marked Bangladesh as a crucial transit point to illegal drugs business. And it is because of our porous borders. Thus, through drugs and militancy, we are losing our young people gradually.
Let’s not forget that Bangladesh is enjoying a demographic dividend, which comes but once in the lifetime of a nation, with over 45 per cent of its working age population, of which mostly are youths. We must not let the youths be wasted away by reason of drug addiction and militancy. The prime minister has sensibly taken up the matter where the secure and healthy life of the young is sincerely concerned. In order to enjoy the bonus age for an extended period of time, we should keep our youths away from harmful drugs. We must realise that a spoiled young generation cannot lead the country in the future.