Mentioning that 24 types of drugs are smuggled to Bangladesh from neighboring India and Myanmar, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said the authorities have to be tougher on drug smuggling.

The minister said this while addressing a drug eradication function at the BGB Cox's Bazar Regional Ground in Ramu as the chief guest on Friday morning.

All offenders will be brought to justice, no matter who they are, he said.

"In our country, 50 percent of drug addicts are youth. To save this generation of the country, we have no choice but to be tough against the drugs. So our goal is to implement zero tolerance against drugs," the minister added.

While addressing the programme, the minister said there are huge swathes of Bangladesh's area bordering India and Myanmar and many of them are in extremely remote areas where border guards can't easily travel. So BGB is using modern technology including helicopters and the government is constructing border-roads, which will be completed soon, he hopes.

The minister also officially razed to the ground drugs worth Tk 395.76 crore seized over the past one year in Cox’s Bazar.

The destroyed drugs include 90,80,477 pieces of Yaba, 23.752 kg crystal meth ice, 6,767 cans of beer, 1,339 bottles of alcohol, 154 bottles of Phensedyl; 206 liters of local alcohol; 17 kg cannabis; 48,019 different types of tablets; 10,984 packets of cigarettes and sever bottles of ammonium sulfur.

Besides, 1979 arrested drug peddlers and drugs worth Tk 510.90 crore were handed over to police.

A documentary on the BGB's drive against drugs was screened at the programme and BGB Cox's Bazar Regional Commander Brigadier General Nazam-us-Sakib, AFWC, PSC delivered the welcome note.

Government officials, reporters, BGB officials and members were present at the event.

Also read: BGB destroys seized drugs worth Tk 395 crore in Cox’s Bazar