The number of yaba pills, a contraband drug, smuggled into Bangladesh from neighbouring Myanmar has surged by two and a half times under the current military regime compared to the amount reported during the rule of ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
This information was obtained from the meeting minutes of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Home Affairs on Thursday.
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan told the meeting that despite negotiations on the issue, the Myanmar military regime is patronizing the smuggling of yaba pills to Bangladesh, which is why the smuggling of the illegal drug has increased.
He mentioned that apart from the most-used route of bordering Naf River the contrabands enter Bangladesh through the remote land border areas too.
The home minister said that Bandarban and Khagrachhari, used as yaba routes, have many inaccessible areas where round-the-clock surveillance is not possible.
It takes two days to go from one BOP to another BOP there, he added.
He also said that the number of BOPs is being increased in all those areas.
The chairman of the committee, Shamsul Haque Tuku, said yaba started arriving in Bangladesh through the Rohingyas coming from Myanmar.
“Then it gradually spread throughout the country,” he said.
He expressed his frustration saying that despite declaring a war against drugs, it is not possible to prevent drug trade and consumption.
Tuku has invited the director general of the Islamic Foundation to a meeting of the standing committee on committees of mosques, temples and graveyards. Tuku said those involved in drug or anti-social activities are coming to these positions through political influence. He said if the committees of all the mosques, temples and cemeteries of the country are formed under the Islamic Foundation it will bring positive results.
He said TikTok is under fire for its negative use that leads to violence, rumours and misinformation. A letter has already been sent to BTRC to stop the TikTok app with all kinds of data.
Young people in Bangladesh spend 80% of their internet time on TikTok, according to the National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre director general.
Meanwhile, a press release of the Secretariat informed that citizens have been advised to keep vigil against any attempt to disturb communal harmony in the country.
The parliamentary body also recommended posting of husband and wife in the same area if they are working in government service.
Shamsul Haque Tuku chaired the meeting. Committee members Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, Md Habibur Rahman, Samshul Alam Dudu, Kujendra Lal Tripura, Noor Mohammad, Sultan Mohammad Mansoor Ahmad and Rumana Ali were present at the meeting.