New law to ensure capital punishment for drug kingpins

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal yesterday told the parliament that the government has drafted a new law to ensure capital punishment for masterminds, godfathers and patrons of illegal drug trading.

In reply to lawmakers' queries, the minister also informed the parliament that there is no visible progress in stopping yaba smuggling in Bangladesh from Myanmar due to lack of good intentions of Myanmar authorities.  

On bringing godfathers of drug trade to book, Kamal said in the existing Narcotics Control Act 1990, there is a provision for capital punishment for drug criminals. But according to the law, there is no option of taking actions if drug is not found in someone's possession. That's how masterminds escape the law easily. 

In a bid to take tougher actions against patrons and godfathers of drug trade, the government has drafted Narcotics Control Act 2018 keeping the provision for death penalty against them, Kamal said.

Besides, the home minister also said officials of the respective directorate who investigate money laundering related crimes will be empowered to bring drug kingpins to book.

About the ongoing drive against drugs, the minister said it is going on according to the list of drug traders to bring drug patrons and godfathers under the purview of the law.

In response to another query, Kamal informed the House that Bangladesh and India so far held five director general level meetings to stop illegal transport of drugs from India to Bangladesh which were effective.

On stopping yaba being smuggled from Myanmar, the minister said Bangladesh and Myanmar so far held three bilateral meetings on preventing yaba smuggling.

“In every meeting, we have exchanged intelligence reports on yaba manufacturing factories in Myanmar, requesting them to stop production and supply of yaba in Bangladesh,” Kamal said.

“But there is no visible progress in this regard,” he added.  

On the anti-narcotics drive, he said a total of 35,112 accused drug traders were arrested from January to March in 2018 in connection with 27, 340 cases.

Over 3.28 crore pieces of yaba were recovered during the time, said the minister.