The number of drug addicts in the country is 8.3 million. While the drug addicted persons are predominantly male, addiction is also found among women and children.
This estimate comes from a recent survey conducted by the Department of Narcotics Control (DNC), the first of its kind by the government body
Previously, in 2018, the National Institute of Mental Health conducted a similar survey, estimating the number of drug addicts at 3.6 million.
Professor Muhammad Umar Faruq, of the Department of Criminology and Police Science at Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University, told Prothom Alo that if the number of drug addicts has reached 8.3 million, it indicates a severe deterioration in the country’s drug situation. “This proves that narcotics are not under control at all.”
He blamed the lack of effective initiatives by responsible agencies for the crisis.
Against this backdrop, Bangladesh is observing the international day against drug abuse today, Thursday, with the theme, “The Evidence is Clear: Invest in Prevention. Break the Cycle. Stop Organised Crime.”
The DNC’s survey will be officially published soon. According to sources, data was collected from over 5,000 individuals across 16 districts in eight divisions. Researchers used internationally recognised methods to conduct the study.
According to the findings, approximately 8.3 million people are addicted to drugs, which constitutes about 4.89 per cent of the total population, based on the latest national census of 169.83 million people.
Breakdown of addiction by substance
According to the survey, the number of men among the total addicts stands at 7.76 million, while 285,000 are women and 255,000 children and adolescents.
Of the addicts, 6.1 million (52 per cent) are addicted to cannabis (ganja), 2.3 million (20 per cent) to yaba, 2.02 million (17 per cent) to alcohol, 346,000 to phensedyl and similar drugs, and 320,000 to heroin.
The DNC survey said 300,000 people take sleeping pills as drugs, 160,000 take glue/adhesives like dandy and 39,000 take intravenous as drugs.
While the substance-wise total adds up to around 11.7 million, many users are addicted to more than one substance, so the adjusted total is 8.3 million.
The DNC director general Hasan Maruf told Prothom Alo that since the last 2018 survey, both population and addiction have increased.
He added that despite limited resources, the DNC is continuing efforts in treatment and rehabilitation.
Drugs enter through unprotected borders
On every International Drug Day, the DNC publishes an annual ‘Drug Report’. This year’s version, Drug Report 2024, notes that despite not being a drug-producing country, Bangladesh is geographically vulnerable due to its proximity to international drug trafficking routes such as ‘Golden Triangle’ (Myanmar, Laos, Thailand), Golden Crescent (Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan), and Golden Wedge (parts of India, Nepal, Bhutan).
Bangladesh shares borders with India and Myanmar across 32 districts, making it a transit point for both traditional and synthetic drugs for over four decades.
The report identifies 104 high-risk border points: 43 points at eight districts in the western region, 21 points at four districts in the eastern region, 21 points at five districts in the northern region and 19 points at Cox’s Bazar.
Despite repeated warnings in annual reports, drug control efforts remain under question. From the 1980s, Bangladesh saw heavy inflows of phensedyl from India, later replaced by yaba from Myanmar. Now, crystal meth—a purer, more dangerous form of methamphetamine—is emerging.
Multiple agencies - DNC, police, Rapid Action Battalion, Border Guard Bangladesh, and Coast Guard - are involved in controlling the abuse of drugs in the country.
Yet, critics argue that enforcement disproportionately targets small-time dealers and users while kingpins remain untouched. Weak investigations and poor witness testimonies also result in most accused walking free.
According to the DNC, a total of 3,698 drug cases were disposed of in the court in 2014, with 55 per cent of these cases saw full acquittal of the accused.
At a press conference in Dhaka on Wednesday, home affairs adviser Maj. Gen. (retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury acknowledged, “We have failed to control two things - drugs and corruption.”
He admitted that while arrests of drug-linked criminals have increased, the masterminds remain untouched.
Addressing the DNC chief directly, he said, “You’ve been given everything you asked for, including a Tk 14 billion project. Catching low-level couriers is no longer enough. You must go after the godfathers.”
The cost of drug abuse
Experts warn that drug addiction is devastating for individuals, families, and society. It disrupts family life, fuels criminal behaviour, spreads disease, and drains public health resources. It also contributes to capital flight.
According to UNCTAD’s (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development) 2023 report, Bangladesh loses USD 481 million (approximately Tk 5,900 crore) annually to drug trafficking.
Bangladesh ranks fifth in the world in terms of money laundering through drug trade.
Despite the scale of the problem, treatment infrastructure is lacking in Bangladesh. The Central Drug Addiction Treatment Center in Dhaka and three others in divisional cities can accommodate only 199 patients at once.
The National Institute of Mental Health has 50 beds, and Pabna Mental Hospital has 30 for drug-related cases. That’s just 279 beds nationwide in government facilities.
However, the DNC reports 387 private rehabilitation centers are operating across the country. Plans are also underway to establish a 250-bed center in Dhaka and seven 200-bed centers in the remaining divisions.
Speaking about the situation, psychiatrist professor Ahmed Helal told Prothom Alo that a significant number of addicts are youth. Proper treatment can bring them back to normalcy.
He recommended nationwide investment in treatment and rehabilitation centers.
If we fail to rehabilitate them, they will become a major burden on society, he added.
‘Drugs destroy families’
A retired secretary shared a heartbreaking story with Prothom Alo on the toll of a drug addict on a family. His only son became addicted to drugs, failed to finish his education, and despite two rounds of rehab, has not recovered.
“My son had a bright future. Drugs destroyed it. My family was socially disgraced. Drugs alone are enough to destroy an entire family,” he told Prothom Alo last night.