OVER 2 million youths are drug addicts in the country at the moment as per a report published in The New Nation on Tuesday quoting officials of the Narcotics control department. The report also quoted the official as saying that the number is on rise and since the source of drug supply is mostly located on the Indian side of the border, cooperation of the Indian authorities is highly essential to combat the menace. The report said use of drugs is destroying big part of our younger generation including university students, school students and adolescents. But drives against drug peddlers so far yielded very poor results. Some dishonest Indian businessmen have set up a ring of phensidyl producing facilities on their side and sending it regularly across the border. Bangladesh is demanding the dismantlement of these facilities to the Indian government but the results so far is very limited.
The report said Bangladesh will raise the issue in the next bilateral meeting with India in the last week of March and preparations are afoot to secure more cooperation from the Indian government to shut these facilities. Officials said that Indian authorities recently conducted an operation in the border and shut down some illegal phensidyl plants. But there more factories are operating and Bangladesh would ask the Indian side to remove all these facilities to make the border free from drug trafficking. The report said illegal drug trafficking between Bangladesh and India is the highest due to its vast border and for their easy carrying in baggage and luggage.
Not only phensidyl, Yaba and other drugs are also entering Bangladesh from Myanmar while drug traffickers are using the region as a safe trafficking route stressing from Nepal to Thailand to run the brisk business. They are using Tekhnaf and Cox’s Bazar as the major landing point, in addition to Chittagong port as per reports highly organized gangs having support from powerful business syndicates and political bigwigs are giving cover to this trade while operating the supply line at the same time within the country down to streets level. They have also reportedly bought support from some members of law enforcing agencies to run the business safely.
We know it is an open secret and its prevention depends not only on how we will be able to dry the supply source but also how we can root out the domestic syndicates running the business and thus destroying our youths. It needs political will and strong administrative steps to destroy the syndicates.
We know Bangladesh has also a very effective security protocol with India and we can effectively use it not only to prevent terrorists crossing the border but also in destroying the sources of drug on the Indian side of the border. We hope the next meeting with Indian official will bear fruits.
