Law enforcers have been trying to stop drug trafficking for more than four decades, while drug dealers have been using Bangladesh as a drug hub and a conduit for the same period of time.
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, MP, on Tuesday, said cooperation of all has become an urgent need to free the society from abuse of drugs along with its illicit trafficking and trading.
Initially, heroin and phensedyl dominated the drug trafficking scene, with other drugs coming later. In the meantime, Yaba tablets have spread out widely across Bangladesh over the last decade, according to the Department of Narcotics Control (DNC). Its main ingredient methamphetamine has been coming to the country for the past two years, the DNC added.
Asaduzzaman Khan said, "Drugs are not manufactured in our country and all of those are brought from neighbouring countries," he said while addressing a rally against drug abuse and militancy at Rajshahi.
A BGB raid has seized a shipment of crystal meth, also known as ice, and Yaba pills worth over Tk 116 million in Cox's Bazar's Teknaf last week. The narcotics were recovered from the Naf River in the Jalia Para area of Shah Porir Dip last week, according to Lt Col Sheikh Khalid Mohammad Iftekhar, Commander of the BGB Teknaf-2 Battalion.
"The BGB received a tip-off that a large shipment of drugs was headed down the Naf River in the Jalia Para area of Shah Porir Dip from Myanmar and sent a patrol team on an operation in the area," Iftekhar said and added, "A plastic bag was found hidden in an old, abandoned wooden boat left on a bank of the Naf River."
"The bag left by the traffickers was searched and 2.14 kg of crystal meth or ice and 30,000 Yaba tablets were found in the bag." The estimated black market value of the stash is over Tk 116 million, the BGB official said.
Consignments of crystal meth have been coming to the country for over two years. The DNC said 22 consignments of crystal meth were seized in the country last year. Dhaka and Chattogram are largely the market for this substance. Like Yaba, crystal meth may spread across the country widely.
Crystal meth is more dangerous than Yaba. Though methamphetamine is the main ingredient, Yaba contains only 15 per cent of it. On the other hand, ice or crystal meth contains 96 per cent of methamphetamine.
Drug peddlers started smuggling phensedyl into Bangladesh after manufacturing it in factories along the Indian border since early 1980s. Phensedyl became available in the country since then.
Last year, more than 30kg of crystal meth was seized in the country and its source was Myanmar. Consignments of ice are coming into the country via the Yaba route.
Drug mainly enters Bangladesh from Myanmar via land and sea routes. And it was Yaba beforehand. People concerned have been having a hard time to tackle the spread of Yaba. Now, crystal meth, which is more dangerous than Yaba, is coming and that is a new concern. Officials at DNC fear if it cannot be controlled now, a riskier situation may arise. They also traced 15 drug trafficking routes connecting to Myanmar.
Bangladesh informed Myanmar during a bilateral meeting about the influx of Yaba and crystal meth. Myanmar immediately responded positively. But how much Myanmar is actually sincere is another matter, according to Additional Director General of DNC.
The Minister said only the government or the law enforcing agencies alone can't eradicate drug abuse. So, the public in general should come forward and work together to attain desired yield in this regard.
"We have to protect the young generation from the grip of the drugs," he said, adding that the law enforcing agencies are working relentlessly to attain desired yield in this field.
