Govt intensifies anti-drug measures to protect youth

The government has intensified its efforts to combat drug trafficking and abuse under its zero-tolerance policy, combining tougher law enforcement, legal reforms, modern detection technology and expanded treatment facilities to protect the country's youth and future generations.

As part of its zero-tolerance policy against drugs, the government has strengthened the existing Narcotics Control Act, 2018, by replacing it with the Narcotics Control (Amendment) Act, 2026.

The law introduces tougher penalties for online drug trafficking, provisions for confiscating assets linked to drug crimes, stronger enforcement powers for the Department of Narcotics Control (DNC), and specialised tribunals for faster trials.

Under the amended law, major punishments include imprisonment and fines of up to Tk20 lakh for online drug trafficking and up to Tk50 lakh for certain organised or international digital drug crimes.

Serious offences involving specified drugs may carry life imprisonment or the death penalty, while assets linked to drug-related crimes may be confiscated.

The government is also expanding drug-detection facilities, rehabilitation services and drug-prevention programmes in educational institutions to protect young people.

Apart from the enactment of the new law to pursue "zero tolerance policy", the government measures include strengthening the Department of Narcotics Control (DNC) with modern equipment, dog squads, improved laboratory facilities and upgraded detention centres for accused persons following arrest.

The government is also planning to establish advanced chemical laboratories in every district to improve the accuracy and reliability of drug testing and prevent fraud in chemical analyses.

The government's strategy focuses on dismantling the entire drug supply chain, including cross-border trafficking networks, financial backers and influential individuals operating behind the trade.

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has said the government is committed to dismantling drug trafficking networks and bringing their masterminds, financiers and major operators to justice, rather than limiting action to street-level dealers and carriers.

The minister said strict provisions were incorporated into the new law to confiscate illegally acquired assets linked to drug money.

He also highlighted the growing use of digital platforms, social media and encrypted communication systems by drug trafficking groups to target young people and coordinate illegal activities.

According to him, drug-related financial crimes increasingly involve anonymous SIM cards, one-time passwords (OTPs), WhatsApp and mobile financial services (MFS).

The government is, therefore, working to strengthen the legal framework, with technical advice from the National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre (NTMC), to trace suspicious transactions and money laundering.

The scale of the challenge is reflected in figures from a nationwide special operation conducted by law enforcement agencies from July to September 2026.

According to the statistics of the Home Ministry, the authorities arrested 44,288 people during the three-month operation targeting drug trafficking, illegal firearms, robbery, extortion, terrorism, juvenile gang activities and other alleged criminal activities.

Of the total, 30,187 people were arrested on allegations of drug dealing and smuggling, accounting for approximately 68.2% of all reported arrests.

The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) recorded 6,289 arrests, including 4,251 related to alleged drug dealing and smuggling during the period. The 

recorded 2,437 arrests, including 808 in drug-related cases.

The figures underline the prominence of narcotics-related offences among the targets of major law enforcement operations.

The law enforcement agencies and the DNC have been conducting coordinated nationwide operations to implement the government's zero-tolerance policy.

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The government is also seeking to improve the technical capacity of law enforcement agencies to identify and intercept increasingly sophisticated narcotics operations.

The minister cited the discovery of a laboratory producing ketamine, a powerful anaesthetic with potential for misuse, in Dhaka's Uttara area as evidence that criminal groups are adopting increasingly sophisticated methods.

He praised the joint efforts of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), Coast Guard, Special Response Battalion (SRB) and police in combating drug trafficking and related crimes.

Authorities are also facing the growing threat posed by synthetic and semi-synthetic drugs and new psychoactive substances, which have added further complexity to the country's drug-control efforts.

The proposed deployment of trained detection dogs and the expansion of laboratory facilities are intended to strengthen drug identification, investigation and evidence collection.

Alongside stricter enforcement, the government is placing greater emphasis on treatment and rehabilitation, recognising drug addiction as a serious public health challenge.

The Home Minister has said people suffering from addiction should be treated as patients who need medical care and support to recover, rather than simply being viewed as criminals.

The government has begun constructing modern 200-bed drug treatment and rehabilitation centres in seven divisional cities under a project costing Tk1,400 crore.

The government is also working to expand the capacity of the Central Drug Addiction Treatment Centre in Dhaka to 250 beds, while increasing treatment facilities elsewhere in the country.

The initiatives are intended to improve access to treatment, reduce the social consequences of addiction and help people return to healthy and productive lives.

In a further step to prevent drug abuse among young people, the Home Ministry has decided to form committees in educational institutions across the country to prevent drug abuse and gambling among students.

The ministry said the initiative was aimed at ensuring a safe and healthy educational environment and protecting students from drug- and gambling-related activities.

The minister has also called on families, teachers, educational institutions, religious leaders, civil society organisations, non-governmental organisations and volunteers to join a broader social movement against drugs.

He stressed that no single country, agency or organisation could eliminate the drug menace without collective action.

The government's approach, therefore, combines enforcement against traffickers, stronger laws, modern investigative tools, financial tracking, rehabilitation services and community awareness.