Poppy farming again in hills

Poppy cultivation has begun once again in the bordering hilly areas of Thanchi and Alikadam upazilas in Bandarban.
Source said a terrorist group of Myanmar in collusion with an international drug smuggling ring is forcing local indigenous people to grow poppy on a large scale this year.
Armed cadres of Arakan Liberation Party (ALP) had allegedly set up a hideout in Likri Yabang area near the Bangladesh-Myanmar border with an aim to control poppy cultivation, said sources.
Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) sources said BDR has only five border outposts on the 250-kilometre-long border in the hilly area leaving a loophole in security measures.
Several terrorist groups allegedly set up their hideouts in the unprotected bordering areas as the border between Bangladesh and Myanmar is yet to be demarcated.
Apart from being involved in poppy cultivation and narcotics smuggling, the ALP members often abduct local people to get ransom.
Poppy cultivated on a vast tract of land here would come into blossom soon, said a journalist of Thanchi upazila wishing anonymity.
He said poppy usually blooms in March-April. Opium and heroin are produced from it and smuggled to different destinations through the golden triangle, he added.
A combing operation will be conducted soon in the bordering areas, sources said.
Security force conducted a combing operation in the area in July last year and destroyed poppy on 200 acres of land.