Bangladesh • Front Page • Latest • Perspectives • Slide
Nothing contrary to law or constitution happened in anti-drug raids
Maj Gen (retd.) Mohammad Ali Shikder, Security Analyst: Those whosoever died in the anti-narcotics were not killed. They died in gunfights. None of them were killed after being arrested or calling from their homes. Nothing happened that is contrary to the law or constitution.
The police are going to arrest drug peddlers and during the drives, they are exchanging gunfires. Such kind of incident takes across the world. If anybody is murdered after being brought out of his home, it is then called extrajudicial killing and contrary to constitution. But no such case happened here.
Those who died had been running illegal drug trade and engaged into bigger narcotics smuggling, with cases filed against them. They were threats to the country. So there is no scope to be kind to them. Raids against them have to be made even harder. The drug peddlers did not stay together like the militants. They remained scattered in different places with firearms. They were shot while trying to flee the raids of the lawmen after firing them first. Some 42 people died in the last few days. It is not that none was arrested. Those who were arrested are shown arrested and some were shot at, who made the law enforcers do so.
It is not possible eradicate the drug peddling by nabbing or killing the petty traders. The main culprits, patrons, kingpins and godfathers have to be arrested.
The circulation of drugs will come to temporary halt if such petty drug peddlers are arrested or murdered. But the illegal trade will keep surfacing if the masterminds are not arrested. We need to bolster patrolling along our borders. Since Cox’s Bazar is the main gateway to Yaba, border security needs to be beefed up there, only to stop smuggling of the drug item. If so, there will be no necessity of such intensified raids against drug rackets in the country. Social movement needs to be waged and the people have to be more aware in this regard.