MIRZAGANJ, Patuakhali — Two abandoned semi-pucca government buildings belonging to the upazila women’s affairs officer in Patuakhali’s Mirzaganj upazila have turned into a safe haven for drug users, residents have alleged.
Drug users have removed most of the doors, windows and tin sheets from the verandas of the two buildings because of a lack of oversight from the relevant department. The buildings have been reduced to virtual skeletons.
Locals said the upazila women’s affairs office once operated from the buildings but was relocated to rented premises after lawsuits filed by the original landowners and because the buildings had become unusable. With no oversight since then, the two buildings have become hubs of drug use, gambling and other antisocial activities, and are also being used as a safe place to sell drugs, residents said.
A visit to the site found the two buildings abandoned alongside the West Subidkhali-Battala road, about 1.5 km north of the upazila headquarters at Subidkhali. The compound has a boundary wall, but one of the iron gates is broken. With most of the doors, windows and tin sheets gone, the buildings have been reduced to skeletons. Nearly every room contained signs of yaba tablet use, drug paraphernalia and cigarette packets.
Locals said drug use and gambling sessions take place inside the rooms at night, along with other antisocial activity. Because the buildings are inside a residential area, residents are concerned for the safety of women, children and other family members.
Several parents, speaking on condition of anonymity, said groups of drug users enter the buildings at night. “Even though there is a boundary wall, with the gate broken they walk through the main entrance in groups and gather inside to use drugs,” one parent said. “This is a residential area where six to eight families of government and private employees live, along with about 50 other local families. Because two to four of the drug users are sons of influential families, we cannot say anything for fear for our families’ safety.”
Mohammad Mizanur Rahman, former general secretary of the Mirzaganj Foundation, a local volunteer group, said: “The two abandoned buildings of the upazila women’s affairs officer have become a gathering place for drug users. This is unacceptable. To build a drug-free society, regular patrols and crackdowns must be stepped up to bring drug users and dealers under the law.”
Shahida Begum, the Mirzaganj upazila women’s affairs officer in additional charge, said: “The office was relocated to a rented house in mid-2024 because the buildings were unusable. The landowners had sued claiming ownership, but the ruling came in our favor. We have already informed senior officials in writing about repairs or reconstruction of the buildings. After learning about the drug users gathering there, I raised the matter at the upazila monthly law-and-order meeting and requested necessary action.”
Mohammad A. Salam, officer-in-charge of Mirzaganj police station, said: “When we receive specific complaints, the station police carry out operations. I am new in this post. I have no information on this matter yet. If anyone files a complaint, legal action will be taken immediately.”
Mosammat Maliha Khanam, the upazila nirbahi officer (UNO), said: “Allegations of drug use in an abandoned government building are extremely unfortunate. If we receive reports that drugs are being used there, immediate action will be taken through a mobile court.”
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report