Department of Narcotics Control (DNC) and police have failed to take any action against Shisha bars across Dhaka's upscale areas-often hidden inside restaurants, hotels and clubs, for reason best know to the authorities.
A high official of DNC told The daily Observer that the Shisha bars in Dhaka represent a failure of regulation and enforcement being outpaced by lucrative demand. It is widely alleged that some establishments operate under a form of protection, paying bribes to local law enforcement or officials to get tipped off about upcoming raids, he added. The affluent clientele and well-connected owners of these bars can also exert influence to avoid serious legal consequences, he added.
Shisha bars continue to flourish illegally right under the nose of the authorities concerned in the capital due to its growing popularity among young tobacco consumers.
According to source the fines and penalties for operating without a licence or violating tobacco control laws are often not severe enough to act as a deterrent compared to the massive profits generated. Jail time for owners is rare.
Despite lacking official approval, many elite areas of the capital have seen the proliferation of Shisha lounges in bars, hotels, restaurants, coffee shops and clubs.
Law enforcement agencies often conduct raids, but the illegal Shisha trade shows no signs of slowing down, resulting in unwanted crime incidents.
According to officials of the DNC, around 17 Shisha bars operate discreetly in upscale areas of Dhaka. Police have also reported similar information, with 16 to 17 Shisha bars operating in the city.
On Thursday morning, a young man named Rahat Hossain Rabbi, 31, was murdered on the third-floor staircase of the '360 Degree' Shisha bar at House No 100, E Block, 11 No Road, Banani. This incident has once again brought the issue of Shisha bars in Dhaka into the spotlight. The '360 Degree' bar was formerly known as 'Arabian Koji.'
The DNC had raided it twice in October and January of the previous year, after which the name was changed, and the business continued under a new guise.
It is known that Shisha bars have been set up in the guise of restaurants in areas such as Gulshan, Banani, Uttara, Baridhara, Bashundhara, Bailey Road and Dhanmondi in the city.
Police say that students from reputed schools, colleges and universities are becoming addicted to Shisha. Along with consuming Shisha, they are also getting involved in various unethical activities. The majority of Shisha users are from affluent families.
According to DNC data, Shisha primarily consists of various fruit extracts. The 'Lady Killer' flavour contains 0.5 per cent nicotine, while the 'Love Sixty Six' flavour contains the same amount. Other flavours like 'Havana Light' and 'Orange Mint' also contain similar levels of nicotine. Many users prefer the 'Strawberry' flavour.
The 'Narcotics Control Act-2018' came into effect on December 27 in 2018. In the new law, Shisha has been listed as a category 'B' drug. The law provides for imprisonment for a minimum of one year to a maximum of 10 years and there is a provision for penalty.
Many restaurants in Gulshan, Banani, Dhanmondi and Uttara have separate Shisha lounges, always packed with young people. The cost for per session is Tk 1,000 to Tk 2,500. Youths from upper-class families are the main consumers of Shisha bars, according to staff of Shisha lounges.
Shisha users have the misconception that the smoke in Shisha is safe because the water absorbs the amount of nicotine present in the smoke, and thus completely harmless.
But the concept is wrong. A typical 1-hour-long Shisha smoking session involves inhaling 100 to 200 times the volume of smoke inhaled from a single cigarette.
While visiting a Shisha lounge in Banani area of the capital, this correspondent found those lounges always packed with youths.
