Myanmar help needed to fight against Yaba menace

Myanmar’s authorities have “not responded” to pleas to check cross-border smuggling of drugs, especially Yaba tablets, into Bangladesh, home minister Asaduzzaman Khan said yesterday.
On the other hand, India has responded positively to such calls to control the menace, the minister said at a meeting on ‘district-special law and order’ at the Chittagong circuit house.
“Yaba is not produced in our country, but comes from Myanmar. It’s either smuggled in by Rohingyas or enters Bangladesh by some other means. This has led to an uncontrolled drug menace in the country,” Asaduzzaman said. “In fact, no drug is produced in the country. All the drugs seized here are smuggled from across the border,” he added. “Our officials from the department of narcotics control and Border Guard Bangladesh hold regular talks with their Myanmarese counterparts to curb the smuggling of Yaba and other drugs from across the border. But we are yet to benefit from such talks, thanks to their sluggish policies,” he said.
Asaduzzaman disclosed that Yaba tablets entered Bangladesh through Teknaf. “I have information that Yaba is sold at Tk. 50 per piece at Teknaf. The price rises to Tk. 150 once it reaches Cox’s Bazar. Then, it is sold at Tk. 250 per piece in Chittagong, and the price shoots up to Tk. 500–600 per tablet once it reaches Dhaka,” he said.
The minister said several steps have been taken to check the entry of Yaba from across the border at Teknaf. “The situation improves for some months after a drive, and then things return to square one,” he said.
He said merely enacting laws or arresting people cannot curb the menace of drugs. “A social revolution is needed to control it,” he added.
Unlike Yaba, the menace of illegal Phensedyl entering the country has been curbed to some extent because of the cooperation of the Indian authorities. “Once upon a time, Phensedyl came from India. But after we talked with the authorities in the neighbouring country, they stopped its production in border areas. They have also stepped up vigilance against its smuggling into Bangladesh,” he said.
Speaking on militancy, Asaduzzaman said there was a conspiracy to turn Islam, which was a religion of peace, into a religion of militants. “There is no place for militancy in Islam,” he added.
He further said, “The government is keeping a vigil on some NGOs that were financing militants. We know who the militants in our country are. These people want to turn Bangladesh into a failed state.”
The meeting was presided over by the deputy commissioner of Chittagong district, Shamsul Arefin. The commanding officer (CO) of the Rapid Acton Battalion (RAB)-7, Lt. Col. Miftah Uddin, Chittagong superintendent of police Nur-e-Alam Mina, and representatives of the metropolitan police, Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and civil society addressed the meeting.

Myanmar help needed to fight against Yaba menace

Myanmars authorities have not responded to pleas to check cross-border smuggling of drugs, especially Yaba tablets, into Bangladesh, home minister Asaduzzaman Khan said yesterday. On the other hand, India has responded positively to such calls to control the menace, the minister said at a meeting on district-special law and order at the Chittagong circuit house. Yaba is not produced in our country, but comes from Myanmar. Its either smuggled in by Rohingyas or enters Bangladesh by some other means. This has led to an uncontrolled drug menace in the country, Asaduzzaman said. In fact, no drug is produced in the country. All the drugs seized here are smuggled from across the border, he added. Our officials from the department of narcotics control and Border Guard Bangladesh hold regular talks with their Myanmarese counterparts to curb the smuggling of Yaba and other drugs from across the border. But we are yet to benefit from such talks, thanks to their sluggish policies, he said. Asaduzzaman disclosed that Yaba tablets entered Bangladesh through Teknaf. I have information that Yaba is sold at Tk. 50 per piece at Teknaf. The price rises to Tk. 150 once it reaches Coxs Bazar. Then, it is sold at Tk. 250 per piece in Chittagong, and the price shoots up to Tk. 500600 per tablet once it reaches Dhaka, he said. The minister said several steps have been taken to check the entry of Yaba from across the border at Teknaf. The situation improves for some months after a drive, and then things return to square one, he said. He said merely enacting laws or arresting people cannot curb the menace of drugs. A social revolution is needed to control it, he added. Unlike Yaba, the menace of illegal Phensedyl entering the country has been curbed to some extent because of the cooperation of the Indian authorities. Once upon a time, Phensedyl came from India. But after we talked with the authorities in the neighbouring country, they stopped its production in border areas. They have also stepped up vigilance against its smuggling into Bangladesh, he said. Speaking on militancy, Asaduzzaman said there was a conspiracy to turn Islam, which was a religion of peace, into a religion of militants. There is no place for militancy in Islam, he added. He further said, The government is keeping a vigil on some NGOs that were financing militants. We know who the militants in our country are. These people want to turn Bangladesh into a failed state. The meeting was presided over by the deputy commissioner of Chittagong district, Shamsul Arefin. The commanding officer (CO) of the Rapid Acton Battalion (RAB)-7, Lt. Col. Miftah Uddin, Chittagong superintendent of police Nur-e-Alam Mina, and representatives of the metropolitan police, Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and civil society addressed the meeting.