IN the latest incident, two suspected drug peddlers were killed in a gunfight with law enforcers at Baharchhari area beside Marine Drive Road in Teknaf Upazila of Cox’s Bazar yesterday. The Rapid Action Battalion claimed that the dead were drug peddlers. RAB also seized about 50,000 pieces of Yaba tables, two pistols, two magazines, four-rounds of bullets and an LG gun from the spot. On Monday, another suspected drug peddler was killed in a gunfight with members of Border Guard Bangladesh and police in Teknaf. With the killing of three, about 100 drug dealers have so far been killed by law enforcers in the last couple of weeks.
What we see that, the killing of drug peddlers by the members of law enforcement agencies is still going on, but drug business is not yet controlled. Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal recently said the nationwide anti-narcotics drive will continue until the drug trade is brought under control. “The drive is against drugs is not aimed at killing anyone. It’s normal for the law enforcers to open fire to protect their own lives from the weapons of the illegal drug traders. Many policemen have also been injured when some criminals opened fire instead of surrendering.” Director General of RAB has said that a new battalion will be deployed in Cox’s Bazar area only for dealing anti-drug crimes.
Currently it seems that, the southeastern bordering district of Cox’s Bazar has turned into a city of drugs. The smuggling of Yaba through Teknaf Upazila of Cox’s Bazar is still rampant as Myanmar border security forces are allegedly helping drug smugglers to run their illegal business in exchange for money. The drug business is so deep-rooted that it is now threatening to destroy the lives of our country’s young generation. Several Yaba factories in Myamar border are reportedly still producing millions of Yaba daily despite repeated protest from Bangladesh.
It is proper time to take stringent measures against the drug lords no matter how powerful they are. We think, it also needs to launch a countrywide massive awareness programme against drug abuse.
