Plabon, a 20-year-old youth, left college due to drug addiction. He was arrested and brought before the UNO and executive magistrate of Madhupur. He was jailed for two years by a mobile court, but granted bail  by the High Court (HC) only after two months.

Shafiqul Islam, officer-in-charge of Madhupur police station, said Plabon was arrested several times with drugs. He was sent to a correction centre, but to no avail.

Worryingly, Plabon's is not the only case of such addiction in the district. Drug abuse among children and youth is now on the rise.

The police arrested more than 1,000 drug addicts and peddlers in Madhupur upazila and sent them to jail last year. It is learnt that police seized 280 kg of cannabis from Bangabandhu Jamuna Bridge on February 14, 46 kg of cannabis on July 23 and 110 kg of cannabis on April 17 last year.

Besides, large consignments of yaba pills, heroin and phensidyl were recovered from 12 upazilas of the district.

Shafiqul Islam said that a special team of police was working to arrest the addicts.

According to experts, young people are becoming drug addicts due to family feuds and influence of other addicts. Most of these addicts are known to be students of school, college, madrasha and unemployed youths. Many of them are minor and only crossed the threshold of primary and high school. The addicts have become mentally depressed; they also take part in petty crimes like theft, robbery, snatching and extortion.

Saiful Alam, assistant director of the Tangail district narcotics and drugs department, told The Independent that they have lodged hundreds of cases and awarded punishment by mobile courts. The department has recovered huge amounts cannabis, yaba tablets, heroin, phensidyl and countrymade wine.

Even though the department arrests drug peddlers and addicts, they often manage to come out on bail and begin committing the same crime.

The department takes classes in schools and colleges and exhibit short films in villages to create awareness against drug addiction. Dandy, cannabis, phensidyl, countrymade wine, heroin and yaba pill have become popular among teenagers.

A cannabis addict told The Independent that he was introduced to the drug by his friends. "Now, I can't stay a single day without it," he said. Abdul Bari, assistant professor of Sakhipur Mujib College, said his son became an addict. He also said that organised groups of drug peddlers were active in the district.

Most of these addicts have links with major political parties, especially the students' wings of major political parties and thus law enforcers do not touch them.

Sayed Azad, principal of Sakhipur Mujib College, said that only legal measures could not stop such widespread drug abuse. Social movement, awareness and religious devotion should be built among students and the guardians to counter addiction.