Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal on Tuesday said dope test would be ensured in all government recruitments, appointment of teachers and university student admission.
“All government service holders will also be brought under dope test once a year,” he told reporters after an inter-ministerial meeting on drugs and security at the Secretariat.
“Action will be taken against those who will be positive in the dope test. We have been asked to follow the zero tolerance policy in this regard,” Kamal said.
The home minister chaired the meeting with participation of high ups of the government including representatives of Bangladesh Army, police, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), Special Branch (SB) and other intelligence agencies.
Kamal said the cabinet secretary initiated the meeting following reports of new and dangerous drugs being seized in the country.
Also Read - ‘Ice’ ring kingpin, five others held
“We have discussed in detail and how to control it, the sources and the victims. We’ve observed that the drugs recovered here are from outside the country. We don’t make drugs,” he said.
Kamal said: “Through this, our young generation is being victimized. We had long discussions to protect our future generations… Recently, we have seen some horrible drugs coming through the courier service. That's why I have taken steps to stop those from coming through the courier service. Our postal department controls the courier service. They have been instructed in this regard. They will install scanners and scan every courier service item.”
The cabinet secretary would take disciplinary action against those failing to comply with the directives, the minister said.
Also Read - Three university students remanded over possessing LSD
Replying to a question, Kamal said distance from Afghanistan is about a thousand miles and there are two more countries between Bangladesh and Afghanistan. “The people of our country have never given shelter to militancy and extremism. So it's up to them what's going on there,” he said.
About the clash between police and BNP men at Chandrima Udyan, he said that the BNP's new committees for metropolitan north and south went there to lay flowers at the graveyard of their late chairman. On the way, they involved in clash with police and threw bricks at the police.
The BNP leaders and activists also did not follow health guidelines during the Covid-19 pandemic, the minister said.