Gambling, drugs linked to serious offences: Salahuddin

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed on Wednesday emphasised the need to address the underlying causes of crime, saying that controlling gambling and drugs could help reduce criminal activities.
The minister made the remarks as the chief guest at a programme held at the office of the Crime Reporters’ Association of Bangladesh (CRAB) in Segunbagicha in the capital to mark its 43rd founding anniversary.
Salahuddin said tackling crime cannot rely solely on action taken after an offence has been committed – the root causes of crime must be identified.
Stressing the need to study society and conduct research to understand why crimes are occurring, the minister said drug addiction and gambling are linked to many serious offences.
“Crimes are merely symptoms, while the underlying disease lies elsewhere. If the root causes of crime can be pinpointed and addressed, the crime rate can be reduced,” he said. 

Bringing the spread of gambling and drugs under control could also help reduce other related offences, he added.
Mentioning the risks faced by crime reporters, he said the government would explore whether some form of support – either government-funded or through corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives – could be arranged for journalists.
Ambassador of Palestine to Bangladesh Yousef SY Ramadan attended the programme as a special guest.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Mosleh Uddin Ahmed; the Prime Minister’s Assistant (Political Affairs), Md Rashed Khan; Managing Director of the Bangladesh Journalists’ Welfare Trust Bashir Jamal; Assistant Secretary General of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Advocate Ehsanul Mahbub Zubair; and MP Dr Shafiqul Islam Masud, President of the Dhaka Journalists’ Union Shahidul Islam, also spoke on the occasion.
The event was chaired by CRAB President Mirza Mehedi Tamal and conducted by General Secretary MM Badsha.
Members of CRAB’s executive committee and other members were present.