Fighting the narcotics menace

Ahead of the police week, about to kick off from January 8, the IGP met the media and openly identified yaba as the biggest drug threat posing Bangladesh. He also said that by laws alone this menace cannot be tackled. First, we thank the IGP for being candid about the risks posed by yaba, the methamphetamine based tablet, widely known as baba. However, we would like to state that the potential risk of yaba, which originally began as a party drug for the affluent in 2007, was underlined almost ten years back by the media. At that time, there were several calls for pre-emptive action. Regrettably, the authority then failed to realise how enormous this monster would become in the future.  This is our collective failure and we must admit it! Bangladesh experienced a similar tale with phensidyl but took no lesson from it.

Today, yaba is not just an addictive substance but a product which is solely responsible for the propagation of a vicious ‘get rich fast’ culture devoid of ethics.  Almost every day, citizens read about rags to riches stories in the newspaper, due to involvement in the yaba trade. While, the police are regularly busting drug selling gangs, apprehending large consignments, the real kingpins behind the lucrative trade are eluding arrest. This is a clear indication that the masterminds of the yaba and all drug operations have either some links to power or some underhand understanding with the law. Otherwise, some top drug dealers would now be behind bars.

Since yaba enters Bangladesh via a large border with Myanmar, it’s indeed a tough job to ensure total prevention unless there is willingness from the other side of the border. At the heart of yaba is an astronomical amount of money which is severely vitiating the ideology of the times because the tales of people becoming rich by this drug carry a mythical like fascination among many young people.

The IGP has asked for stronger family values but it’s absurd to expect such moral atmosphere in the family when right before us, known drug dealers become rich and, eventually, try to wipe out the sources of their affluence by resorting to conspicuous benevolence.

How will parents explain that?

Most newspapers have run stories about top drug bosses, giving detailed information about their antecedents, yet high calibre arrests are made scarce.  Existing laws are not insufficient; regular enforcement will prove that. Stop targeting the street sellers and go for the big fish. At the same time, a state level dialogue with Myanmar, followed by immediate affirmative action is imperative.  

Fighting the narcotics menace

Ahead of the police week, about to kick off from January 8, the IGP met the media and openly identified yaba as the biggest drug threat posing Bangladesh. He also said that by laws alone this menace cannot be tackled. First, we thank the IGP for being candid about the risks posed by yaba, the methamphetamine based tablet, widely known as baba. However, we would like to state that the potential risk of yaba, which originally began as a party drug for the affluent in 2007, was underlined almost ten years back by the media. At that time, there were several calls for pre-emptive action. Regrettably, the authority then failed to realise how enormous this monster would become in the future. This is our collective failure and we must admit it! Bangladesh experienced a similar tale with phensidyl but took no lesson from it. Today, yaba is not just an addictive substance but a product which is solely responsible for the propagation of a vicious get rich fast culture devoid of ethics. Almost every day, citizens read about rags to riches stories in the newspaper, due to involvement in the yaba trade. While, the police are regularly busting drug selling gangs, apprehending large consignments, the real kingpins behind the lucrative trade are eluding arrest. This is a clear indication that the masterminds of the yaba and all drug operations have either some links to power or some underhand understanding with the law. Otherwise, some top drug dealers would now be behind bars. Since yaba enters Bangladesh via a large border with Myanmar, its indeed a tough job to ensure total prevention unless there is willingness from the other side of the border. At the heart of yaba is an astronomical amount of money which is severely vitiating the ideology of the times because the tales of people becoming rich by this drug carry a mythical like fascination among many young people. The IGP has asked for stronger family values but its absurd to expect such moral atmosphere in the family when right before us, known drug dealers become rich and, eventually, try to wipe out the sources of their affluence by resorting to conspicuous benevolence. How will parents explain that? Most newspapers have run stories about top drug bosses, giving detailed information about their antecedents, yet high calibre arrests are made scarce. Existing laws are not insufficient; regular enforcement will prove that. Stop targeting the street sellers and go for the big fish. At the same time, a state level dialogue with Myanmar, followed by immediate affirmative action is imperative.