The government has formed 22 tribunals in different districts and metropolitan areas, including Dhaka, Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar and Comilla, to accelerate the trial of narcotics-related offences.
The law ministry issued a gazette notification in this regard last night.
The tribunals have been formed with separate local jurisdictions and boundaries under the powers conferred by Section 44/A of the Narcotics Control Act-2018.
According to the notification, a tribunal has been formed for Dhaka district and four separate tribunals for police stations under Dhaka Metropolitan area.
Dhaka Metropolitan-1 tribunal covers Pallabi, Kafrul, Mirpur, Shah Ali, Darus Salam, Rupnagar, Bhashantek, Tejgaon, Tejgaon Industrial Area, Hatirjheel, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Ramna and Shahbagh police stations.
Dhaka Metropolitan-2 tribunal covers Kalabagan, Dhanmondi, Hazaribagh, New Market, Adabar, Kotwali, Bangshal, Chawkbazar, Lalbagh, Kamrangirchar and Mohammadpur police stations.
Dhaka Metropolitan-3 tribunal covers Motijheel, Shahjahanpur, Paltan, Sabujbagh, Khilgaon, Mugda, Rampura, Demra, Shyampur, Sutrapur, Gandaria, Jatrabari, Kadamtali and Wari police stations.
Dhaka Metropolitan-4 tribunal covers Uttara East, Uttara West, Uttarkhan, Dakkhinkhan, Airport, Turag, Badda, Gulshan, Banani, Bhatara, Cantonment and Khilkhet police stations.
Two tribunals; Narayanganj-1 and Narayanganj-2 have been formed for Narayanganj, while one has been formed for Chittagong district and three for Chittagong Metropolitan-1, 2 and 3 in Chittagong Metropolitan area.
Three tribunals have been designated for the drug-prone border district of Cox’s Bazar.
Cox’s Bazar-1 covers Teknaf, Kutubdia and Maheshkhali police stations, Cox’s Bazar-2 covers Ukhiya, Sadar and Eidgaon police stations, and Cox’s Bazar-3 covers Ramu, Chakaria, Pekua and Matamuhuri police stations.
Besides, two tribunalsComilla-1 and Comilla-2 have been formed for Comilla, while one tribunal each has been formed for Brahmanbaria, Rajshahi district, Rajshahi Metropolitan area, Bogra, Dinajpur and Jessore districts.
The notification further said that within 60 (sixty) days from the date of issuance of the notification, ongoing cases under the Narcotics Control Act, 2018 involving offences punishable with a minimum of five years or more will be transferred from the existing courts to the newly formed tribunals in accordance with the relevant laws and rules.
The trials of the cases will continue at the stage at which they are transferred.
