Mayor of Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Atiqul Islam on Sunday urged to make dope tests compulsory for the crane operators. “Dope test should be compulsory for those who are tasked with heavy works specially crane operators and their mental health should be tested also,” he said. The DNCC Mayor said this while talking at a meeting over ensuring necessary security in the ongoing development projects under DNCC. Also read: DNCC Mayor wants to get rid of electric rickshaws “Every contractor firm should ensure security in reality not in papers and for this a daily or weekly meeting is needed over security issue. No safety, no work and if the workers did not get safety assurance, they can stop work,” said the Mayor. Replying to a question, Atiqul said no project work should be started without ensuring security and action will be taken against those involved in violating the order. “We’ll visit the sites of different projects and there will be magistrates for penalising.” Also read: DNCC demolishes two police boxes from in front of SSMCH Five people of a family including two children died after a girder of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project fell on a private car in the city's Uttara area on August 16.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan on Sunday said dope test will be made mandatory for the students before university admission by amending the relevant law. He said laws are being amended and students will be brought under dope test according to the law. “Medical tests including the dope test will be done at the time of their admission.” Read: Dope test for drivers to be made compulsory: Home Minister The minister informed this at a press conference on the occasion of 'International Day against Drug Abuse and Illegal Trafficking, 2022' at the secretariat. Replying to a question, the Home Minister said, "We have already started dope test of police members when the Prime Minister announced zero tolerance against drug abuse." They also sent a proposal to the Prime Minister to introduce dope test for government officials and employees before their recruitment. Read:DU mulling over ways to implement its dope test “To do this infrastructure needs to be developed and efforts are already on,” he added.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan on Sunday said dope test will be made obligatory for the vehicle drivers and within two months they should get their appointment letters. The minister said this to journalists after attending a meeting of the taskforce on law and order on roads at the secretariat. He said along with these the decision to not allow money collection in the name of associations on the roads was taken at the meeting. “Except in terminals any money collection on the roads will not be allowed. Even the tax courts formed in the district and upazila levels won’t be allowed to collect money from anywhere,” said Asaduzzaman Khan. Also read: Police being built as a world-class force: Home Minister The minister said the Inspector General of Police (IGP) has been asked to take actions in this regard. The home minister said a committee has been formed led by Bangladesh Road Transport Association (BRTA) chairman to examine how long the old private and government vehicles can operate on the roads. “The decision to form the committee was made as the expired old vehicles often cause accidents on the roads,” he added Asaduzzaman Khan said in phases arrangements will be made to conduct dope tests at the terminals and drivers will be tested immediately before driving. Also raed: It’s unfair to put all the blame of crossfires on RAB: Home Minister He said BRTA has started the dope tests from January 30 before providing licenses. “After two months we will check whether the owners have provided appointment letters to staff, drivers as it is in the law,” he said. The minister said a decision was made to make the issuance of the driving license process easier for the drivers future.

The Dhaka University authorities recently decided to conduct dope tests on freshers in a bid to keep the campus free of drugs. But the authorities are still not sure how the decision will be implemented. A section of students welcomed the decision saying it will help to reduce the number of drug addicts in the campus while some said the decision goes against ‘personal freedom’, fearing that authorities could use the system to harass and oppress students. The decision was taken in principle at a syndicate meeting chaired by Vice Chancellor Dr Md Akhtaruzzaman on September 1, confirmed Dr ASM Maksud Kamal, pro-vice chancellor (education). “Now, the committee will formulate policies on the process, facilities, and its implementation,” Prof Maksud told UNB. A seven-member committee was formed to formulate a policy for conducting dope tests with Dhaka Medical College Principal Dr Titu Miah as its convener. Dr Titu Miah, convenor of the newly formed committee, told UNB that under the system, dope tests would be conducted in the university during the recruitment of teachers and admission of new students every year. READ: Students protest cutting down of old Krishnachura tree at DU, plant new one “Additionally, students can be tested once a year in phases. However, the decision must be taken according to the capability of the university, which is absent now. This will require equipment and manpower. We are working on whether the dope tests will be done at the university or any other institution, and how the decision can be implemented,” he added. “Primarily we talked with Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Hospital and they agreed to collaborate with us but further decision will be taken after approval of the university authorities,” Dr Titu Miah also said. “Freshers or teachers have to pay their own fee for the dope test, with which they have to collect dope test certificate before completing enrollment. Dope test would be mandatory for all types of recruitment in the university,” he further explained.  Asked about what decision would be taken for those who test positive in the dope test, Dr Titu Miah said, “It is not final yet. University authority will take decisions in this regard. Maybe they have to take pre admission and post admission counselling from the university.” Dr Mohammad Humayun Kabir, professor of the Department of Islamic History and Culture and a Syndicate member, said that the Deans’ Committee had recommended that the dope test be carried out on freshers. “However, I think Bangladeshi facilities do not have such capacity to carry out dope tests on 7,000 freshers and provide results within two months,” he remarked. A special report from an August 25 Deans’ Committee meeting was submitted to the Syndicate in which the committee made a few recommendations about dope tests of students, Humayun Kabir revealed. The recommendations of the Deans’ Committee include developing DU’s own system for dope testing, and signing MoU with those who have the ability to carry out dope testing. Accordingly it also proposed that a committee be formed for these purposes. It was learnt that the fifth meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Law and Order last February 17, chaired by Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque, had decided to make dope testing compulsory during the admission of students in all universities and educational institutions. ‘We are all against drugs’  A section of university teachers and students welcomed the decision saying it will help to check drug addiction in the campus while some havr opposed fearing that authorities could use the system to harass and oppress freshers. READ: DU likely to reopen halls on limited scale from October 5 Professor Lutfur Rahman, convener of the BNP-backed White Panel teachers of Dhaka University, said that the dope test is ‘unnecessary’. “I don’t think the decision of the dope test is logical. It doesn’t match with university’s overall situation,” he added. Dhaka University Teachers’ Association president Nizamul Hoque Bhuiyan said, “I welcomed the decision. Everyone will be careful if the university authority will implement its decision properly.” However, AL-backed DU teachers’ association ‘Blue Panel’ president Abdus Samad declined to comment on this matter. Among students, Chhatra League Dhaka University unit general secretary Saddam Hossain said, “Inclusive social awareness needed to combat drug addiction. University should not take such a decision which will hamper students’ freedom and social dignity.” Dhaka University Chhatra Dal convener Rakibul Islam said, “Thousands of university students are prone to drug addiction. This grim scenario can be replaced by implementing such a strict preventive way. Students are motivated to take drugs by their circumstance, He claimed. Salman Siddique, president of the Socialist Student Front's DU unit, told UNB, “We are all against drugs but how the university plans to combat drugs is not scientific and democratic. Dope testing will not be fruitful. But the authorities can use the dope testing method to harass students, teachers.| Contacted, VC Prof Md Akhtaruzzam said, "We are trying to uproot drugs from our society. It's not possible to keep everybody in check without an institutional initiative."  Drug addiction has grown into a serious concern for Dhaka University students. The university campus and its adjacent areas have turned into safe havens for drug addicts and dealers amid closure of the country’s premier educational institution due to the coronavirus pandemic. On May 15, a Dhaka University student, Hafizur, 24, died as he hacked himself with a machete after taking LSD in the Curzon Hall area. He killed himself under the influence of the drug. Besides, taking drugs is rampant in residential halls of the university. The addicts take drugs in groups on the rooftops and in the rooms of the dormitories when the campus is open. Rakibul,a residential student of Sergeant Zahurul Haq Hall, said, "When the university was open, liquor or marijuana was taken in groups on the roof of our residential building at night. Student leaders from different halls took part in such activities."  However it is implemented, the dope test system will help to ease the existing grim scenario, he hoped.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan on Tuesday said the government officials and employees will be brought under dope test in a year and action will be taken against those who would test positive. “The government has made dope test mandatory for government jobs in a bid to discourage use of drugs and many proposals are on line,” he said while talking to reporters at the Secretariat. “The educational institutions will be brought under the system and the students who will get enrolled in educational institutions, universities and colleges will be brought under dope testing. And the teachers too will undergo the test. We have a discussion in this regard,” said the minister. Also read: Law equal for all, no exception for police: Home Minister Replying to a question on when it would be implemented, the home minister said “The Cabinet secretary will tell about it.” Referring to the clash between police and BNP at Chandrima Udyan in the city, the Asaduzzman said “BNP has violated the rule as the government has imposed restriction on public gatherings considering the Covid situation. A chaotic situation was created there as the BNP men entered there forcibly. They just forced the law enforcers to take action.” Police will take further action against those involved in it, he said. Earlier in the day, BNP activists clashed with police in front of Chandrima Udyan in the city on while visiting Ziaur Rahman's grave after the formation of new city committees. Also read: Won’t tolerate anarchy: Home Minister The clash broke out around 10:30 am when the newly-formed convening committees of BNP's Dhaka city north and south units went to place wreaths at the grave of the party's founder Ziaur Rahman. He dismissed as baseless the talk of Bangladeshis leaving for Afghanistan. “This is baseless and those who said it are wrong. Everything is closed now. Our air service has been suspended there. How would they go to Afghanistan? Did they go on foot? There is no way to go to Afghanistan?” “The people of our country are Islamic minded and they did not support any militant activity and extremism. So what is happening in Afghanistan is its own business,” he said.

Every time there is a police raid, bottles of foreign liquor, yaba tablets and other sundry items are found. Having them  are criminal acts but one wonders how many well off and even not so well off homes have them. In a country, where the police have to say that anyone who fails the dope test will be sacked means it is more pervasive than we can even think. We have around 10-15 million drugs including yaba addicts most people estimate. It’s an entirely smuggling based sector that has grown so large that we don’t even know how big it is. Millions make their money from the many income sources , both ferrying on protection.  And yes, almost every social segment is involved. That was the point Sinha was trying to make and he paid with his life. This is big business and the deals are in the million dollar level so the crime part is small compared to the economic one. Also read: Man held with 9k Yaba pills at Dhaka airport How old is yaba ? Yaba arrived in Bangladesh in 2000 and then slowly took off. It’s basically methamphetamine but has since arrival thrived. Initially it was in competition with phensedyl but the India produced cough syrup slowly over time lost the market and yaba from Myanmar  took over. It’s much easier to smuggle in, carry and sell so naturally a winner.  The result is the yaba explosion, in growth terms probably much bigger than the rmg sector.  Bangladesh is simultaneously a transit and destination country of the drug trafficking network. Yaba flows despite Bangladesh’s war on drugs because killing a few hundred street traders is considered good news because hundreds more are ready to join. And the business is a business of the influential. So though a few may die, the trade is not affected at all.  Each Yaba pill is sold for around 100- 300 . Estimates vary. The Narcotics Control Bill in Oct 2018  which sort of made encounter killings halal along with other punishments has not worked. The smugglers have always been smarter and following alternative routés are easy in a country bordering very difficult terrains. It’s not just Mtyanmar which traditionally supplies but India is a route too now.  Yaba is now coming in larger quantities from India, through the Kurigram District located in north Bangladesh. From the sea route, smugglers use the southern districts mostly Patuakhali to push the drugs in. Also read: SI of PBI held with Yaba But yaba is a socio-economic issue not a law enforcement one It provides an easy if risky life for many unable or unwilling to enter the labour market. The addiction often begins much earlier as “youth gangs” have become great introducers of yaba to children. For many it’s also a high income no matter how risky. The consumers come from all levels so it has a broad market. If Dhaka is full of fancy clubs, kids have clubs too and many are doing the same. If dinghy clubs are supplying foreign liquor, kids clubs supply foreign yaba. Neither the liquor nor the tablet that is making so much media noise can impact on the drug economy,  the narco trade is bigger than ever. And maybe the capacity to control is limited too. For some it really is no problem, after all you make money and you can get a high so who cares?

Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs on Thursday recommended the government for arrangement of adequate number of DNA labs and dope test labs for sake of disposal of rape and drugs cases.

Eight policemen including two sub-inspectors  have been  suspended in Kushtia for failing dope tests.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has initiated a process to terminate 26 cops found positive in dope tests, said DMP Commissioner Md Shaifqul Islam on Saturday.