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Declare war against DRUG LORDS

Shahnoor Wahid
REPORTEDLY, the message of "zero tolerance" from the high-ups in the government regarding proliferation of drugs in the country' has prompted the law enforcing agencies in Teknaf and Gox's Bazar to go all guns blazing at the drug lords and small time peddlers in those areas. In the last two weeks one or two big time drug smugglers, especially of yaba from across the Myanmar border, have died in gunfights with the law enforcers along with some of their lackeys. This apparently has sent a very' strong message across the dens of the smugglers in the entire region.
Media reports say that small boats carrying yaba consignments on the Naf river, and motorcycle gangs ferrying yaba from Teknaf to Gox's Bazar and further into various destinations, have vanished in thin air since the operation by Rab and the police was launched. One thing that has come out loud and clear from the successful operation is that if there is no interference from any powerful quarters, law enforcers can do their job with precision. They deserve kudos for the good work done so far.
The prime minister deserves special thanks from the citizens for empowering the law enforcing agencies with sufficient firepower and authority to eliminate the vicious gangs that are destroying the lives of millions of people in the country. That the PM meant business this time around is evidenced in the death of a local yaba gang leader, who was known to be close to a powerful man of the ruling party, in a gunfight with the law enforcers. We expect more from the authorities as names of some big time leaders of the ruling party as well as of other major political parties have surfaced in the investigation of both government intelligence agencies and that of the media.
A national Bengali newspaper has recently given a graphic description of the numerous factories where yaba is manufactured inside Myanmar; which group owns which factory; who buy them from Bangladesh; how the drugs come to the Bangladesh border, and who distribute them inside
the country. It was excellent investigative reporting and it was obvious that the reporter took a lot of risk to his life to collect the information.
We keep hearing the name of a local MP who along with his entire family is involved in smuggling of yaba from Myanmar. It is said that they have become multi-millionaires dealing in drugs. If the allegation turns out to be true then one would like to ask the question why and how a man of such criminal disposition could contest elections and become a public representative? Concerned citizens want to see such criminal elements removed and put away for life so that they may not exploit the good name of any party and criminalise the entire society. A drug smuggler must notbe allowed to enter the sacred precincts of our Parliament.
The timely assault on the drug smugglers in Teknaf and Cox's Bazar by the law enforcers is producing results, therefore, it should not be abandoned on any consideration, at least not on political consideration. The PM should tell the Rab, BGB and police in clear terms to uproot the entire network and splinter the nexus of drug smugglers from the region so that not a single piece of yaba can enter Bangladesh from now on. BGB should reinforce vigilance at the border areas with Myanmar, and Rab and police should swoop down on the roadside peddlers and send them to prisons. A bilateral discussion meeting could be arranged at the ministerial level between Bangladesh and Myanmar to destroy all yaba making factories in the border areas and thereby take the relations between the two countries to a new height.
Meanwhile, similar drives against the drug lords and peddlers in other parts of the country where drugs like heroin, cocaine, yaba, phensydl, etc are sold and bought openly should be launched with equal intensity. If small peddlers find it difficult to sell drugs in the capital and other towns they will slowly become frustrated and switch over to some other profession. The social welfare department can take up a programme to seal off as many sources as possible for the drug addicts and rehabilitate the peddlers with vocational training.
The writer is Special Supplement Editor, The Daily Star.