The government plans to build a modern drug treatment centre and hospital in Lalmonirhat at a cost of Tk 150 crore to treat and rehabilitate drug users in the border district, Disaster Management and Relief Minister Asadul Habib Dulu said on Sunday.
Construction of the facility is expected to begin within a year, he said while speaking at a programme to inaugurate a newly built six-storey academic building at Majida Khatun Government Women’s College in Lalmonirhat town.
Dulu said Lalmonirhat’s location along the border makes it vulnerable to drug trafficking.
“Law enforcement alone cannot tackle the drug problem. Treatment and rehabilitation of drug users and social awareness campaigns must go hand in hand,” he said.
He called for coordinated efforts by families, educational institutions, social organisations and elected representatives to prevent drug abuse, particularly among young people.
“A sustained social movement is needed to protect the younger generation from the harmful effects of drugs,” the minister said.
Referring to the activities of “Alokito Lalmonirhat”, a local organisation working against drug abuse, Dulu said public participation was being increased to tackle drug addiction, child marriage, dowry, gambling, bribery, corruption and other social ills.
Strengthening the organisation’s activities could help Lalmonirhat set an example in preventing social crimes, he said.
“Alokito Lalmonirhat is not just about lighting up the district. It is about awakening people’s conscience, values and humanity,” Dulu said.
He said the organisation also seeks to promote peace within families and build collective resistance against crime and social problems.
On preventing child marriage, the minister said expanding girls’ access to education was helping them pursue higher education, employment and social and cultural activities.
He urged families, teachers and communities to ensure girls remain in education and to play a responsible role in preventing child marriage.
Dulu also stressed the importance of mutual respect between teachers and students.
“Students must respect their teachers, while educational institutions must ensure an environment of mutual respect, responsibility and tolerance. Any form of harassment or abuse disrupts the normal educational environment,” he said.
The minister said Majida Khatun Government Women’s College had been playing an important role in education since its establishment in 1988.
He suggested that teachers from other educational institutions visit the college and adopt its good practices in academic and administrative management to improve the quality of their own institutions.
The programme was chaired by college Principal Professor Dilip Kumar Roy.
District Administrator Md Rashedul Haque Pradhan, District Council Administrator AKM Mominul Haque, Police Superintendent Md Asaduzzaman, college Vice-Principal and Convener Md Shariful Islam, engineer Md Golam Mostofa and Teachers’ Council General Secretary Abdul Karim Sadeqi, among others, attended the programme.
The event ended with a cultural performance by college students.
