Drug rackets threaten decent, peaceful social existence

There is probably now no place in Dhaka city which does not have a presence of drug trafficking rackets. The addiction habit is fast increasing among all sections of people. It is no longer confined to young freaks in rich families who have become addicts out of a sense that it is in vogue to do so. The addiction spread is rampant cutting through class lines. Even middle class people are also taking to addictive drugs including housewives and students. The addiction habit is no more limited to young ones of rich families or the slum dwellers. Thus, even on broad daylight on sides of important thoroughfares can be seen harried figures of the pavement dwellers needling their bodies to taken in heroin or other addictive substances or smoking the same.
The relationship between the drug rackets and crimes is too intimate. The racket operators seem to enjoy special relations with the law enforcers through bribery. They also acquire a sense of confidence, thus, that nobody can do anything to them from their apparent immunity from police and others.
The drug rackets and crimes associated to drug addiction are proliferating everywhere and threatening to spoil any vestiges of a decent social existence. The underworld as a whole needs to be dealt with very toughly but it is imperative to crackdown immediately against the drug rackets considering their greater contribution to the rising crime incidents in the city.

M Kamal
East Testuribazar, Dhaka.