Villagers demand action against drug peddlers
Villagers demand action against drug peddlers
Several hundred people including a large number of women of Garialpara village in Panchagarh Sadar upazila yesterday brought out a procession in Panchagarh town, protesting open sale of contraband Indian drug phensidyl at their village.
They also formed a human chain at Sher-e-Bangla intersection of Panchagarh-Dhaka highway, demanding arrest of the identified drug peddlers.
The human chain followed a discussion at the same venue.
The speakers demanded immediate arrest of the drug peddlers of the village who made the lives of locals miserable. The people are facing various types of harassments due to drug trading at the village, they alleged.
They demanded regular patrol by BGB teams at the bordering village and a BGB camp to root out the drug trading.
Monowar Hossain, a social worker of Gorinabari union, said identified drug peddler Jaharul and his accomplices were continuing brisk business at the village openly for years.
Local people cannot speak out in fear of attack by the drug traders.
On 9 July, a gang attacked the house of Budhu at the village as he gave deposition before a court in a case filed by BGB on 17 March for attack on BGB men while patrolling at the area.
In the attack on Budhu's family, Budhu, 45, himself, his son Abdur Rahim, 18, Rafiqul Islam, 30, and Robiul Islam, 25, were injured seriously. They are now undergoing treatment at Panchagarh Sadar Hospital.
Villagers alleged that the local administration did not take action against the drug peddlers despite lodging several complaints.
Later they placed a memorandum to prime minister and home minister through the deputy commissioner of Panchagarh, demanding action against the evil.
In the memorandum, they mentioned names of 16 drug peddlers of the village.
DC Salah Uddin assured them of taking necessary action against the drug peddlers after receiving the memorandum.