BNP Standing Committee Member Mirza Abbas has pledged a decisive crackdown on drug networks, extortion and terrorism if elected, stressing that Dhaka’s deteriorating public spaces must be restored for community use.
Speaking at a community gathering and prayer event at Abu Jar Gifari College in Malibagh on Sunday, Abbas criticised what he described as years of encroachment on playgrounds, recreation areas and local facilities. These losses, he said, have contributed directly to rising drug abuse among young people.
According to Abbas, the ruling Awami League has allowed buildings and commercial structures to overrun areas once set aside for public activities. “The fields and open spaces I helped establish have been taken over,” he said, adding that the lack of accessible community areas has left residents with few safe outlets for leisure.
Returning to the college after 17 years, the BNP leader said he was struck by the extent of encroachment and structural damage in the neighbourhood. Drug trafficking, he warned, has expanded sharply during this period. “This area was once free of drugs. Now the syndicate is large, but it must be dismantled, and I believe the community will stand with me,” he added.
Abbas urged residents to reach out to him directly with concerns, noting that addiction is not just a household burden but a wider social challenge. He promised swift action on any report involving criminal or drug-related activity. “There can be no compromise with terrorism, extortion or drugs,” he said.
He also emphasised the need to restore canals and natural water bodies to ease Dhaka’s long-standing waterlogging problem, saying many drainage routes have been blocked due to unchecked land grabbing.
The event was chaired by former commissioner Sajjad Zahir and moderated by Dhaka South BNP leader Fazle Rubayet Pappu, with several teachers from local institutions also addressing the audience.
