Drugs destroying society, collective resistance needed: Mirza Fakhrul

Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Sunday called for a united stand against drug abuse, saying it is destroying society and threatening the country’s future.

“Everyone must firmly say ‘no’ to drugs and build collective resistance against it,” he said while addressing the Valerian World Cup Night 2026 at the Shaheed Farhan Fayaz Playground in the capital.

The minister stressed the importance of keeping young people away from drugs and other harmful activities by engaging them in sports, cultural and creative pursuits.

“There is no alternative to sports in building a healthy, humane and promising Bangladesh,” he said.

The event, jointly organised by Valerian ARC Limited and socio-cultural organisation Ahban, featured a special football tournament involving people with disabilities and special needs.

Praising the participants, the minister announced financial assistance of Tk 1 lakh for each of the two special-needs teams.

Remembering the July martyrs, including Shaheed Farhan Fayaz, he said their sacrifices had created an opportunity to build a new Bangladesh and urged everyone to work together to uphold that legacy.

In the tournament final, American International University-Bangladesh (AIUB) defeated Far East International University (FEU) to lift the title. A total of 24 universities took part in the competition.