That the volume of confiscated narcotic drug, popularly known as Yaba, has been on an unabated rise, is hardly surprising. The addiction has now spread to almost all spheres of society. Smuggling of the drug into the country primarily from neighbouring Myanmar has thus also gone up. The rise in the volume of Yaba seized by narcotic control agents and law enforcers -- from 0.8 million pieces in 2010 to 40 million pieces in 2017 -- does only confirm this unsavoury truth. Parents and guardians are really worried as quite many young people are particularly addicted to this drug which creates an instant euphoric feeling. The addicts, however, do remain oblivious of the deadly effects.
Concerns have grown across society and volumes are being said and written about the ill-effects of all types of drugs, including Yaba. But there has been no let-up either in use of drugs or dealing in the same. The godfathers of underground drug market -- some influential people, including one or two lawmakers are suspected to be involved in this illegal drug trade - rejoice over this development, particularly the phenomenal rise in the use of Yaba drug pills. It is far easier to smuggle in thousands of pills and market those across the country with fewer chances of detection by the law enforcers.
Unlike once popular Phensedyl, Yaba is easier to carry with little chances of detection, so the illegal trade involving it has attracted even people belonging to higher social strata. The addiction, too, has gone wide and deep, compared to the consumption of Phensedyl. Overall, the dealing in Yaba is a billion taka business and its operators exercise unbridled influence -- the power of money. They can use this power in litigations to 'manage' the people in high positions or others who matter. It is widely believed that a large part of the underground economy belongs to the drug traders. Besides, the possibility of investing some unearned money in drug trade by a section of people cannot be dismissed.
A more worrying development has surfaced lately. Those who are enmeshed in the Yaba trade are reported to have set up clandestine plants themselves to manufacture the drug inland, with a view to avoiding the risk involved in smuggling of the drug. Setting up similar plants should not be a big deal, for Yaba is being manufactured in the makeshift small plants in Myanmar villages along the border with Bangladesh. In the event of home-based manufacturing, the Yaba trade would be far more difficult to contain.
But all these developments must not deter the narcotics control personnel and law enforcers from busting the dens of drug dealers. The problem of drug addiction is enormous but it needs to be resolved at any cost at the earliest. It may not be possible to wage a bloody war like the one that is now on in the Philippines against the drug dealers. But there should, at least, be one in Bangladesh, though not necessarily as draconian and ruthless as that of the Philippines, so that drug dealers are forced to remain on the run, always. Side by side, there should be greater awareness among parents, guardians and others to keep a constant watch over youths who are more prone to taking up the self-destructing habit -- abuse of drugs.
