Staff Reporter :
Ruling Awami League MP from Cox’s Bazar-4 (Ukhia, Teknaf) Abdur Rahman Badi has been listed as one of the most influential patrons of drug trade in reports compiled by five state agencies in the wake of a countrywide drive against drug traffickers.
Over 50 people were killed in ‘gunfight’ by police and RAB over the past week for their alleged involvement in drug trade. Reports said 11 people were killed on Thursday in drug related incidents.
But the government is refusing to arrest Badi saying there is no proof about his involvement in drug trade and therefore he can’t be arrested. Moreover arresting a lawmaker is not easy.
Human Rights activist Sultana Kamal raised the question why then police are killing the reported drug killers without verification of the inelegance agency reports. Only the court of law can verify the crime on hearing individual and killing of such suspects is illegal. It violates their constitutional rights.
IT is an open secret and media reports over the past several days made the disclosure again that a section of police throughout the country including major cities; local ruling party leaders and drug traffickers have their
countrywide network to run drug trade.
Killing of some peddlers is not enough to destroy the trade. Patrons will replace their agents immediately to run the trade as it earns them handsome profits to become rich overnight.
Media reports said MP Badi and his five brothers controls Yaba trafficking gate way with Myanmar.
This southern part of the country is considered as one of the most popular routes for drug trade. Despite the government ‘war on drug’, home minister said he has ‘no proof’ for Badi’s involvement. There are also some other ruling party MPs involved in drug trade.
Meanwhile Badi’s position in the party seems to have become stronger in recent time, sources within the party said.
“We haven’t got any witnesses that confirm Badi as a drug dealer. Inclusion of his name [in the list] is not sufficient. We must have proofs at hand confirming that he is a criminal,” home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal told the media.
Badi has been enlisted earlier as number one drug dealer in the country by the Narcotics Control Department (DNC) saying, “nothing could be done without his consent in this trade.”
Apart from DNC, even a home ministry report enlisted Badi as a top human trafficker. Cox’s Bazar drew global media attention in 2014-15 for illegal human trafficking by boats through risky sea routes. He was once arrested by the Anti-Corruption Commission.
More than one member of law enforcement agencies believe the ongoing anti-drug drives might be questioned if Badi was excluded from the list only for being a ruling party MP.
When asked why Badi was earlier arrested, the home minister said, “The ACC released him as it didn’t get any evidence. How will we then take action against him, he quipped. Badi holds top position in the list of ‘yaba’ godfathers and traders for the past 10 years.
But, suddenly in March this year, a state agency dropped his name from the list. The list also included names of Badi’s five brothers and one of his cousins and nephews. A total of 1151 people of eight upazilas of Cox’s Bazar are also in the list, they said.
When reached for comments, Badi on Wednesday told a Bangla daily, ‘If anyone can prove that I’ve even talked to any yaba trader, I’ll step down. He said he was maintaining regular contact with the home minister about what can be done against drug abuses.
When asked why he was named as a patron of drug trade time and again, he called it is a propaganda of Jamaat-e-Islami.
“Jamaat-e-Islami has stronghold in four constituencies in Cox’s Bazar. I’ve kept holding one of the seats. Rumors are spreading in the to prevent me from contesting in election,” he claimed.
Top leaders of the ruling party are now full of appreciation of him.
At 12 February rally in Cox’s Bazar, AL general secretary Obaidul Quader said there was no substitute for Badi in the constituency.
Former MP from the constituency and upazila AL president Mohammad Ali, however, said Badi was doing the yaba trade in Teknaf with the help of 30-32 persons including his brothers.
Meanwhile, issuing a note of warning, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan on Thursday said there would be no place for drug traders in the city.
“Actions will be taken against them following the list made by intelligence agencies,” he said while inaugurating an anti-drug campaign of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) in Farmgate area with slogans “Avoid Drugs, Save Yourself and Save the Next Generation”.
In response to a question about Badi, he said arresting a MP immediately is not easy.
Former caretaker government adviser and human rights activist Sultana Kamal said, “If Badi’s name is on the list and he still claims to be innocent, he should file a case against the government.”
Moreover, the government is now seeking evidence against Badi. Then What evidence does the government had against those who were killed in ‘gunfights’ every day”?
Ruling Awami League MP from Cox’s Bazar-4 (Ukhia, Teknaf) Abdur Rahman Badi has been listed as one of the most influential patrons of drug trade in reports compiled by five state agencies in the wake of a countrywide drive against drug traffickers.
Over 50 people were killed in ‘gunfight’ by police and RAB over the past week for their alleged involvement in drug trade. Reports said 11 people were killed on Thursday in drug related incidents.
But the government is refusing to arrest Badi saying there is no proof about his involvement in drug trade and therefore he can’t be arrested. Moreover arresting a lawmaker is not easy.
Human Rights activist Sultana Kamal raised the question why then police are killing the reported drug killers without verification of the inelegance agency reports. Only the court of law can verify the crime on hearing individual and killing of such suspects is illegal. It violates their constitutional rights.
IT is an open secret and media reports over the past several days made the disclosure again that a section of police throughout the country including major cities; local ruling party leaders and drug traffickers have their
countrywide network to run drug trade.
Killing of some peddlers is not enough to destroy the trade. Patrons will replace their agents immediately to run the trade as it earns them handsome profits to become rich overnight.
Media reports said MP Badi and his five brothers controls Yaba trafficking gate way with Myanmar.
This southern part of the country is considered as one of the most popular routes for drug trade. Despite the government ‘war on drug’, home minister said he has ‘no proof’ for Badi’s involvement. There are also some other ruling party MPs involved in drug trade.
Meanwhile Badi’s position in the party seems to have become stronger in recent time, sources within the party said.
“We haven’t got any witnesses that confirm Badi as a drug dealer. Inclusion of his name [in the list] is not sufficient. We must have proofs at hand confirming that he is a criminal,” home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal told the media.
Badi has been enlisted earlier as number one drug dealer in the country by the Narcotics Control Department (DNC) saying, “nothing could be done without his consent in this trade.”
Apart from DNC, even a home ministry report enlisted Badi as a top human trafficker. Cox’s Bazar drew global media attention in 2014-15 for illegal human trafficking by boats through risky sea routes. He was once arrested by the Anti-Corruption Commission.
More than one member of law enforcement agencies believe the ongoing anti-drug drives might be questioned if Badi was excluded from the list only for being a ruling party MP.
When asked why Badi was earlier arrested, the home minister said, “The ACC released him as it didn’t get any evidence. How will we then take action against him, he quipped. Badi holds top position in the list of ‘yaba’ godfathers and traders for the past 10 years.
But, suddenly in March this year, a state agency dropped his name from the list. The list also included names of Badi’s five brothers and one of his cousins and nephews. A total of 1151 people of eight upazilas of Cox’s Bazar are also in the list, they said.
When reached for comments, Badi on Wednesday told a Bangla daily, ‘If anyone can prove that I’ve even talked to any yaba trader, I’ll step down. He said he was maintaining regular contact with the home minister about what can be done against drug abuses.
When asked why he was named as a patron of drug trade time and again, he called it is a propaganda of Jamaat-e-Islami.
“Jamaat-e-Islami has stronghold in four constituencies in Cox’s Bazar. I’ve kept holding one of the seats. Rumors are spreading in the to prevent me from contesting in election,” he claimed.
Top leaders of the ruling party are now full of appreciation of him.
At 12 February rally in Cox’s Bazar, AL general secretary Obaidul Quader said there was no substitute for Badi in the constituency.
Former MP from the constituency and upazila AL president Mohammad Ali, however, said Badi was doing the yaba trade in Teknaf with the help of 30-32 persons including his brothers.
Meanwhile, issuing a note of warning, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan on Thursday said there would be no place for drug traders in the city.
“Actions will be taken against them following the list made by intelligence agencies,” he said while inaugurating an anti-drug campaign of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) in Farmgate area with slogans “Avoid Drugs, Save Yourself and Save the Next Generation”.
In response to a question about Badi, he said arresting a MP immediately is not easy.
Former caretaker government adviser and human rights activist Sultana Kamal said, “If Badi’s name is on the list and he still claims to be innocent, he should file a case against the government.”
Moreover, the government is now seeking evidence against Badi. Then What evidence does the government had against those who were killed in ‘gunfights’ every day”?
