As part of her relentless drive under "zero tolerance" policy to cure the country and society of their many ills, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has ordered the law enforcing agencies to crackdown on illegal trade and use of drugs showing no mercy or leniency to anyone.
She said "show no mercy to them (drug traders, peddlers and users) even if they are from the ruling party (Awami League). We cannot let our young generation to be ruined."
Intelligence agencies, acting on the PM's directive, say they estimated around 60 percent of the country's youths are now addicted to drugs - marijuana, heroin, phensidyl, alcohol and Yaba - and their number is increasing.
But law enforcers (police and RAB) say they are yet to launch the crackdown because there are "shoshate vhut" (ghost in the mustard), a very common adage in Bangladesh where crimes and criminality abound under the nose of the law enforcers.
Officials at the Police Headquarters in Dhaka told the Daily Observer, requesting anonymity, that the country's "billion dollar" drug trade is largely controlled by people from the ruling party including several Members of Parliament (MPs), their subordinates or leaders from BNP, Jamate-Islami and other parties.
"They are enemies of each other in politics but friends when it comes to the illegal trade of Yaba, alcohol and other drugs," one police officer said, jokingly. But he was saying the truth.
The drug lords in the country include Awami League MPs Abdur Rahman Bodi in Cox's bazaar, Shamim Osman in Narayanganj, Nizamuddin Hazari in Feni, Enamul Haque in Rajshah and one named "Samrat" (the king) who control the drug syndicates in the country.
In Feni, the ruling paling party MP killed his party leader and Fulgazi Upazila Chairman Ekram and burnt his body alive in a car to ensure absolute grip over drug business in the district and its bordering areas, according to the reports of different intelligence agencies.
Police say the crackdown is being delayed because to chase all those "big birds" (legislators) they need permission of the Prime Minister herself. Otherwise they would run into problems in encounter with the ruling party leaders and also under provisions of the constitution. As such, the PM's directive has so far become ineffective.
Meanwhile, it is widely alleged that there is a "buy-sale" exchange going on between some law enforcers and the drug dealers. The booty is also shared with people sitting on the high ladder of administration. The Prime Minister and the relevant ministry should investigate the allegations, law enforcing experts say.
A high ranking intelligence source told the Daily Observer they prepared list of drug traders and patrons in the country and sent it to the concerned authority to take action. But no action has been taken yet as ruling party men top of the list. Some Jatiya Party, BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami leaders are also involved in drug cartel.
The Prime Minister ordered an "war on drugs" as various harmful stuffs, especially Yaba, are flooding the country and ruining the young generation. She declared a 'zero tolerance' policy against trade and use of illegal drugs.
PM Sheikh Hasina has received huge local and international acclaim for her successful "zero tolerance" policy against militancy and terrorism, and people expect the war on drugs will also bear positive outcome.
However, the people also feel that winning the war on drugs would be difficult unless the Prime Minister ordered a similar war on corruption and self serving by politicians and law makers irrespective of their party identity. The ruling party leaders involved in crimes including drug trading are immensely powerful and have created a reign of terror in their respective areas, police say.
A high police official told The Daily Observer they collected all evidence against parliament members and others involved in this illegal business in Dhaka and across the country.
(But) to launch a crackdown against MPs and leaders of ruling party "we need direct permission from the Prime Minister." Police sources said taking "stern action against them is not possible" as they hold vital portions in the ruling party.
An intelligence report said several leaders of associate bodies of the ruling party control the narcotics trade in the capital. They paid huge amount of drug selling money to "Samrat" everyday.
Often police get hold of the drug sellers and their leaders but they slip through the cracks by paying huge money to the law enforcers.
An investigation by several intelligence agencies has found that drug smuggling in Bangladesh is run by over 1,200 godfathers of whom at least 87 are leaders of the Awami League, Jubo League, Chhatra League, Sramik League, Jatiya Party, BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir.
The Department of Narcotics Control uses this list to conduct anti-narcotics operations and as a basis for further investigation. But they are yet to make a breakthrough.
