Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed revealed on Wednesday that nearly 82 lakh people in Bangladesh – approximately 4.88% of the population – are addicted to illicit drugs, based on a study supervised by the Department of Narcotics Control. Speaking at a program in the secretariat, the minister noted that the emergence of new synthetic and semi-synthetic drugs has intensified the problem, leaving a large number of young people dependent on drugs and in need of immediate treatment. He emphasized that government treatment facilities remain inadequate relative to the scale of the addiction crisis.