MADARIPUR, Oct 22: The number of addicted children here is increasing alarmingly, in four upazilas of the district, especially in Shibchar upazila as well as remote areas.
Many kinds of drugs are available here and a new drug item named 'Baba, Dal' adhesive has been added to this line, according to local sources.
It has been learnt that nearly 50 children, between 10 to 15 years of age, only in the upazila headquarters, take this new drug at 10 to 12 places including abandoned and under-construction buildings. They generally take the drug from afternoon till night in a group. Most of these urchins are orphans while some have become urchins due to poverty.
A street urchin Borhan, who collects and sells waste papers, used to buy adhesive from hardware shops and meet his addiction by taking its smell. He is also motivating other children to follow him.
Dr Sosanko Ghosh, medical officer of Madaripur General Hospital, said after taking the drug, an oxygen scarcity is felt in the body.
It is very harmful and damages heart, eyes, liver and kidney of human beings, the medical officer informed.
Woman leader of the district Amena Begum opined that the social structure will be destroyed if the children cannot be saved from the harmful addiction. She put emphasis on its social prevention.
Hiten Chandra Mondal, principal of Nazimuddin University College, Madaripur, said, "Most of the social crimes are the results of drug addiction. Failing to collect the money for buying drugs, they start stealing at first and later on commit criminal offences. It is high time to control them."
Superintendent of Police (SP) Md Sarwar Hossain, said police alone cannot stop it and sought preventive measures from their respective family and society. He also urged all hardware shoppers not to sell harmful adhesives to the children.
Abdullah-Al-Mamun, general secretary of Ain O Sohayta Kendro Foundation (ASOK), Madaripur district Unit said, "We are worried about our children in the society as the number of drug addicts has been increasing alarmingly .We all should build social movement to stop anti-social activities forever".
