Dhaka Bureau: The Directorate of Narcotics Control (DNC) is going to start a ‘Comprehensive Action Plan’ or integrated action plan to control drugs not only in a practical sense. For this reason, for more than 10 months, workshops have been conducted across the country. The new war on drug control will focus on stopping the supply of drugs, curbing demand and harm reduction or cure. Special apps have already been developed to prevent drug supply and dealing with the cooperation of people from all walks of life. One lakh drug addicts have been listed. Those who will be brought back to normal life through treatment. Work is going on to prepare the list of drug dealers. Meanwhile, an intelligence agency of the government has submitted the list of top 93 drug dealers to the Ministry of Home Affairs. According to the DNC, the proposal was submitted to the Ministry of Interior in mid-December to get final approval for the start of this anti-narcotics operation. If the Ministry of Home Affairs approves, the activities will be started simultaneously across the country. All preparations have been completed for this.
According to DNC sources, a special app called DAM-AMS (Awareness and Motivational Activity Monitoring System) has already been developed as part of the Comprehensive Action Plan. Through this app, people of all classes and professions can see what kind of awareness workshops have been conducted in which district and upazila on drug control. Also, people from different areas can tell what kind of workshop should be done in their area. The Directorate can also take information about the implementation of workshops through the app. Besides, all over the country
Information can be given about the names and addresses of drug dealers, where the drugs are stored and whether the business is going on anywhere. In this case, the identity of the information provider will be kept confidential. After receiving the information, DNC’s raid team will reach the spot.
DNC officials said, not only arrests, but the new anti-drug campaign will deal with the supply, demand and treatment of drugs. Special measures have been taken to bring those who have already become addicted to drugs. Although there are 7 million drug addicts across the country, a list of 100,000 drug addicts has been prepared to start the program. Others will come under the treatment and rehabilitation phase. For this, initiatives have been taken to conduct community, primary, secondary and tertiary activities in collaboration with the Ministry of Health. Union health workers will treat the drug addicts at the community level, if not possible at the community level, they will be sent to the upazila health complex at the primary level. If not, they will be sent to the secondary i.e. district level hospital. If not in the district, then the treatment will be given at the central drug treatment center in Dhaka or at the mental hospital in Pabna. DNC will also give special training to the doctors and nurses who will be involved in this program. As a result, when a drug addict goes for treatment, the people concerned can easily understand what stage of addiction he is in. There is also a plan to open separate wards for drug treatment in each upazila health complex.
A DNC official said it was considered most important to inform the public before the Comprehensive Action Plan was launched. For this reason, awareness workshops have been conducted in 8 divisions, 64 districts and 426 upazilas across the country for more than 10 months. The workshops have also received massive response. After sharing our plans with everyone they also requested us to add several things. The recommendations of the public, which we find reasonable, have been forwarded to the Ministry with recommendations for final approval. District level officials of DNC have been trained so that everyone can use the app properly. An initiative has been taken to form a monitoring cell in the Directorate for monitoring the information of the app. It can be installed from Play Store and Apple Store after getting approval of Comprehensive Action Plan.
DNC Deputy Director (Prevention Education) asked when this new war against drugs will start. Manjurul Islam told the media that it is not possible to eliminate drugs by just arresting them. That is why Comprehensive Action Plan has been taken up. We hope, once its operation starts, the drugs will come under control. In response to a question, the Deputy Director of DNC said that all preparations have been completed by the Directorate. Some plans are under discussion. However, we will start the process once the Ministry of Home Affairs approves it.
Incidentally, a nationwide anti-narcotics campaign started on May 4, 2018 with the slogan ‘Let’s go to war, against drugs’. Although more than 600 people were killed in the ongoing operation, many businessmen were arrested and gunfights did not reduce the spread of drugs. On the other hand, the operation slowed down after the US sanctions against the former and current 7 RAB officers. On this occasion, the dreaded drug yaba and crystal meth (ice) started pouring in from Myanmar. In this situation, the DNC took up the plan to enter the field with a ‘Comprehensive Action Plan’ or integrated action plan by forming a social movement to control drugs.
In the cabinet meeting, the draft of this plan called ‘Comprehensive Action Plan’ for drug control was approved. Later, on February 28 last year, the comprehensive action plan started with the inauguration of activities in the Dhaka division at a hotel in the capital.
