Saying drugs are coming from neighbouring countries, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan today (September 13, 2022) explained that government and law enforcement alone cannot eradicate drugs and sought help from all sections of society. The minister was talking to reporters after inaugurating the Rajshahi Police Liberation War Memorial Museum in Rajshahi Police Lines. The home minister also said that presence of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) along Myanmar border has been strengthened. Read: Warned Myanmar against firing shots towards Bangladesh, says Home Minister “Myanmar government is at war with the Arakan Army, and that’s why a few mortar shells landed on the Bangladeshi side recently. Foreign Ministry has protested the incident. We have strengthened BGB forces patrolling along the Myanmar border, and it is expected that firing in the border area will end soon,” he said. Earlier, on September 10, Asaduzzaman said that the government has asked Myanmar to refrain from firing shots towards the Bangladesh border. Replying to a question over the attack on journalists at Rajshahi Barind Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA) office, the minister said, “Those who were involved in the incident will be brought to book. No one will be spared in this connection.” Read: Bangladesh wants discussion to avert border tension with Myanmar: Foreign Secretary Noting the contribution of police during the Liberation War in Rajshahi region, the minister said the museum was built to conserve their memories. Bangladesh will never forget their contributions, he added. Later, Asaduzzaman also unveiled a book titled ‘Muktijuddhe Rajshahi Police’ and joined in an anti-narcotic and anti-terrorism discussion.

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?