The growing Dhaka-Delhi cooperation in curbing the cross-border drug trafficking has contributed to reducing the supply of Phensidyl, a codeine phosphate-based cough syrup which is the second largest misused drug in Bangladesh, at grassroots level.
Many Indian manufacturers set up Phensidyl factories along the Bangladesh border, mainly to push the drug into Bangladesh at higher prices. The illegal business went on for years under the noses of the Indian Border Security Force and Border Guard Bangladesh.
Now the Indian authorities have shut many of the 61 factories, according to a government report the Home Ministry submitted to parliament. The activities of other factories have been under investigation.
The Dhaka Tribune has obtained a copy of the statement, saying that the Indian authorities had reduced its annual quota of import of codeine phosphate.
“Besides, carrying out operation to stop smuggling of Phensidyl and exchanging information on it, India in the fiscal year 2013-14 has reduced its annual quota of import of codeine phosphate to 20 tonnes from its previous 50 tonnes,” said the report.
It further said the Indian government had banned movement of codeine phosphate-based cough syrup in 20 kilometres area along the Bangladesh-India border.
Experts say the Indian crackdown and reduction in the import of codeine phosphate are very good steps to cut off the supply chain.
“Last year I bought one bottle (of Phensidyl) at Tk300, but this year its price is over Tk750. They (sellers) say the price goes up due to poor supply from the border,” Rumi, a drug addict, told the Dhaka Tribune as this correspondent saw him buying Phensidyl near fish market in Naogaon town.
“The border is tight,” he said quoting a drug trader.
According to the Department of Narcotics Control, Phensidyl is the second-ranked drug in Bangladesh. Bordering districts such as Dinajpur (Hili), Joypurhat (Kalai point), Dhamoirhat and Patnitala in Naogaon are some of the major routes of Phensidyl smuggling into Bangladesh.
The situation in Bogra’s Sherpur, one of the transit stations of Phensidyl for pushing to Dhaka and elsewhere, is also similar to Naogaon.
“The price (of Phensidyl) is very high — at least Tk700 per bottle. So, many of the Phensidyl addicts have been turning to Yaba and pethidine,” a police officer in Sherpur told the Dhaka Tribune.
CQK Mustaq Ahmed, the immediate-past home secretary who at the meetings with Indian counterpart handed over the list of Phensidyl factories along the borders, told the Dhaka Tribune: “Of course, the Indian move would help us immensely to reduce the flow of Phensidyl.”
Bangladesh and India in March 2006 signed an agreement on cooperation for preventing illicit trafficking of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.
In 2010, the two neighbouring countries inked an agreement on combating international terrorism, organised crimes and illicit drug trafficking.
In line with the 2010 deal, the directors general of the lead agencies —the Department of Narcotics Control of Bangladesh and the Narcotics Control of India—had three annual meetings.
The next (4th) meeting was supposed to take place in June this year. But the meeting was delayed due to the general elections in India.
