It was around 9:30pm last Wednesday; the spot was just a few meters away from Amar Ekushey Hall of Dhaka University. Some men, aged between 30 and 35, were sitting on sacks close to a dustbin on the street and could be seen injecting themselves with substances. Most of them were woozy and indifferent to the foul odour which issued from the garbage.
This is not a unique picture of drug abuse but a common one across the country. Lax monitoring and ineffective raids against drug cartels result in a rising number of abusers, particularly in the capital.
Out of around 17 drugs, the most easily accessible products are cannabis, Yaba, brown sugar (heroin), Phensidyle and pethidine injections – available in around 400 spots of the capital.
Illegal drug business has never been stopped but the extent of sales drops during March to July because of stringent steps by the authorities. Conversely, the demand and also the supply of drugs rises notably during festivals like Eid and New Year.
Now anyone can easily identify the odour of cannabis while travelling or crossing Suhrawardy Udyan, Chankharpool, Bangshal, Tejgaon and Karwanbazar rail tracks just after sunset. The odour becomes strong during midnight and it continues until sunrise.
Almost all the drugs are easily availability at these places.
The Dhaka Tribune reporter entered the Suhrawardy Udyan on a motor cycle recently. Near the Kali Temple, a 12-year boy came to him with a little bag on his hand and asked whether the reporter wanted some cannabis. At that time, a youth passing the spot noticed the boy and gave him Tk100. As soon as the boy gave him three packets, the youth left the scene.
When asked about the product, the boy said it was cannabis. He then suddenly ran away towards another crowd near the temple, saying that he would be available in the area.
Such drugs, including cannabis, are being sold openly under the nose of the law enforcers but no big-shot has ever been arrested. Only the small traders are caught sometimes and they quickly manage to walk free on bail.
The Narcotics Control Department updates the list of drug dealers and salespersons in the beginning of each new year but the names remain in the notes only, as no effective action is taken against them.
When asked about it, Pronob Kumar Neugi, director (operation) of the DNC, admitted to the weakness of the organisation. He said they had a list but had failed to arrest any godfather of the drug syndicates.
“However, raids against the drug dealers are on and some sellers have been arrested recently.”
Sources said the DNC made a list of 192 drug dealers and 50 salespersons in early this year, most of whom are gangsters. The authorities also identified a number of spots where the drug dealers operate.
Although different intelligence agencies have reported that there are around 400 drug-dealing hotspots in the capital, the DNC only mentions a few of the spots on its list.
Sources said the drug dealers were operating their business after managing the officials of the law enforcement agencies and the DNC so that the raids were conducted only for eyewash.
The names of Shahid and Parvin, two drug sellers in Karwanbazar area, have been listed with the DNC. They were even arrested by the officials several times, but later came out on bail or sometimes escaped mid-way through their sentence by managing the officials.
Some of the important drug spots from which drugs are found around the clock are in the Tejgaon area, Dilu Road, Maghbazar rail crossing, Malibagh rail crossing, the Dhaka Medical College Hospital area, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Rasulbagh Park in Mirpur, Babubazar Bridge, Postagola, Armanitola school field and the Azimpur maternity hospital.
When contacted, Mujibur Rahman Patowari, deputy director (intelligence wing) of DNC’s Dhaka division, claimed they had been conducting their duties properly, arresting both the dealers and the sellers from different areas of the capital every day.
He said the DNC officials had been trying their best to take control of the illegal drugs business.
Monirul Islam, joint commissioner of the DB police, said several teams of the intelligence agency had been working closely with the DNC against the drug cartels.