Amid growing national concern over the spreading menace of drug peddling and its abuse, that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said threatens to ruin country's young generation, it was hoped that law enforcers will wake up from slumber and crack down on the drug lords, their associates and the addicts.
But information received from various sources over the past couple of days revealed that not only some 'crook and powerful' politicians but also a nexus of dishonest police and other law enforcers are patronising the running of this illegal business.
They act in collusion and protect each other to sustain and boost their illegal drug trade-and share the booty that runs into millions of taka each week throughout the country. Dhaka, the capital, is the 'headquarters' of drug business.
According to Narcotics Control Department sources, three million people take drugs everyday out of seven million addicts countrywide.
Millions of Yaba pills and other drugs are seized each year-but intelligence agencies think that is only about 10 per cent of what is being smuggled into the country from across the borders, especially Myanmar.
Direct involvement of some law enforcers with drugs business in Dhaka and across the country made combating the illegal trade difficult, said non-government organisation (NGO) officials who are working for elimination of illegal drugs in the country.
"The drug business, though illegal, thrives in Bangladesh only because the law enforcement agencies and some political leaders share the profits,' one NGO official said.
"Some leaders from different political parties are involved in drug peddling. Police who protect them (drug dealers) often use political connections to shield themselves from law," he told the Daily Observer on condition to be not quoted.
Known criminals in collusion with local police pick up select number of drug addicts from the capital and other places as an 'eyewash' and to use them to run the illegal drug business, said a police source, requesting anonymity. However, he said, this has been known to the law enforcing bosses who just ignore or don't care as "their own men are doing the business for extra income."
Prime Minster Sheikh Hasina, addressing the reunion of Bangladesh Chharta League (BCL) in Dhaka last week, issued her latest directive for all to fight drugs and militancy-two major vices sweeping and challenging the country. Sources said some local Awami League leaders in Dhaka and elsewhere in the country appear to have taken the PM's message seriously and started working towards tracking the drug sellers and addicts. The Inspector General of Police has recently gave instructions to police to swoop on 'Drug Lords" following the PM's order.
The slums in Dhaka and other cities are known dens of drug traffickers and also used as transits for dispatching drugs to various destinations, said narcotics control officials.
They said that cartels formed by criminals and the "helping" cops pocket the lion's share of the huge profits from the illegal drug business. There are allegations that they also provide shelter to drug peddlers.
A professor of Dhaka University's Social Science Department, preferring anonymity, told The Daily Observer that criminals who control the capital's drugs business are known to the police and other law enforcement agencies. The occasional drives to arrest the slum based drug peddlers are only "eyewash", he said. Police will be able to eliminate the illegal drug business in the country if they wish, he added.
One Abbas, listed by the police as killer Abbas years ago, was among 23 top terrorists, who was arrested after bounty was announced on him, and is now detained in the Kashimpur Jail. But he reportedly runs his drug business from there.
Ibrahim, a known BNP cadre, left the country during the tenure of the army sponsored caretaker government in 2007-2008, still controls his group's drug business from abroad. His local conduits are Dolly, wife of his elder brother, and his follower, Mamun who is on the run but faces 14 cases including alleged rape and murders.
Abbas controls his drug and ammunition business from Kashimpur Jail through his followers including Altaf, Rupchan and Chiku Jamal. Local sources said that both the syndicates are sheltered by some cops of Bhashantek Police Station. They said that Altaf and Chiku Jamal also work as informants of the police.
No one dares to protest against the activities of these gangs due to fear of harassments by the police, locals said.
Arresting the protesters under Narcotics Control Act is a common tactics of corrupt police officers, said M Hannan Akand, a Kalyanpur Pora Bosti community leader. Some of the local police officers at Mirpur provide shelter to the slum based drug sellers, he said.
On behalf of Tejgaon Police Station, some corrupt cops collect tolls from drug peddlers at Karwan Bazar and Farmgate areas, said narcotics control officials.
Drug peddlers in Tejgaon Postal Colony slum and Kunipara Bosti keep the Tejgaon Industrial Area Police Station 'silent and happy' through regular payments, sources said.
Officials of Bhashantek, Banani, Mirpur and Tejgaon industrial police stations, however, denied allegations of sheltering and patronising illegal drug business in their areas. But the local people question how the drug peddling goes on unabatedly without the knowledge of the local law enforcers?
