UN blames India, Myanmar for rising drug abuse in Bangladesh
The question on how illicit drugs enter Bangladesh makes Bangladesh's government and border guards greatly responsible there
The United Nations has blamed India and Myanmar for increased drug abuse in their neighbouring countries including Bangladesh. The latest report of the International Narcotics Control Board,
the independent and quasi-judicial control organ for the implementation of the UN drug conventions, detailed the swelling influx of Indian drugs into Bangladesh.
'The widespread abuse of pharmaceutical preparations containing narcotic drugs such as codeine is an ongoing problem in Bangladesh. Such preparations are smuggled into that country from India,' said the INCB 2009 report, released on February 24.
The INCB investigated in-depth the world-wide drug abuse, illicit manufacturing and smuggling in 2008 with an alarming compilation on the amounts of illicit drugs which had been captured by Bangladeshi law enforcers.
Citing a record seizure of 14,782 ampoules of Indian buprenorphine, which is widely abused by injection, the report said, 'in the majority of those cases, the preparations were smuggled by persons entering Bangladesh by crossing the country's porous land borders.'
India is the primary source of injectible drugs such as pethidine and morphine widely abused in neighbouring Bangladesh and Bhutan, the UN agency said. 'More and more addicts in these countries are shifting to injectible narcotics abuse.'
The report also blamed Myanmar as a major source of methamphetamine tablets, known as Yaba, into Bangladesh's market.
Pharmaceutical preparations containing benzodiazepines and originated in India are among the drugs most widely abused in Bhutan, said the report.
Citing seizure of more than 1,060 tablets containing chlordiazepoxide and 240 strips of tablets containing nitrazepam in Bhutan, the report said, 'The suspected origin of the seized drugs was India.'
Describing widespread trafficking in cannabis herb and cannabis resin throughout South Asia, where climate conditions are highly suitable for their cultivation, the INCB noted seizure of 2.3 tonnes of cannabis in Bangladesh in 2008.
Major sourcing and influx of illicit drugs into Bangladesh crossing borders is quite an open secret, said former adviser to the caretaker government ASM Shajahan.
'Information is there that many illicit drug manufacturing units are in operation across the borders and they eye Bangladesh market mainly,' said Shajahan, also a former inspector general of police. 'Strong international criminal and financial networks control Bangladesh's drug supply chain.'
Observing that Bangladesh's narcotics department is weak to keep watch and prevent influx of illicit drugs into Bangladesh, Shajahan said 'A strong national and functional unity by major political parties against drug abuse is also absent.'
Emphasising that the government should make a broad-based study on the issue and engage it in Bangladesh-India diplomatic priorities, Shajahan said, 'The Bangladesh government should seek India's cooperation in tracing and eliminating the cross-border drug smuggling networks.'
An expert who works with an international programme of drug prevention, said, accusation against India as the major source of illicit drugs in Bangladesh would not resolve such a chronic problem.
'The question on how illicit drugs enter Bangladesh makes Bangladesh's government and border guards greatly responsible there,' he said. 'Drug abuse problems should be addressed with multifaceted programmes — supply reduction, harm reduction and demand reduction.'
http://www.newagebd.com/2010/mar/01/front.html
the independent and quasi-judicial control organ for the implementation of the UN drug conventions, detailed the swelling influx of Indian drugs into Bangladesh.
'The widespread abuse of pharmaceutical preparations containing narcotic drugs such as codeine is an ongoing problem in Bangladesh. Such preparations are smuggled into that country from India,' said the INCB 2009 report, released on February 24.
The INCB investigated in-depth the world-wide drug abuse, illicit manufacturing and smuggling in 2008 with an alarming compilation on the amounts of illicit drugs which had been captured by Bangladeshi law enforcers.
Citing a record seizure of 14,782 ampoules of Indian buprenorphine, which is widely abused by injection, the report said, 'in the majority of those cases, the preparations were smuggled by persons entering Bangladesh by crossing the country's porous land borders.'
India is the primary source of injectible drugs such as pethidine and morphine widely abused in neighbouring Bangladesh and Bhutan, the UN agency said. 'More and more addicts in these countries are shifting to injectible narcotics abuse.'
The report also blamed Myanmar as a major source of methamphetamine tablets, known as Yaba, into Bangladesh's market.
Pharmaceutical preparations containing benzodiazepines and originated in India are among the drugs most widely abused in Bhutan, said the report.
Citing seizure of more than 1,060 tablets containing chlordiazepoxide and 240 strips of tablets containing nitrazepam in Bhutan, the report said, 'The suspected origin of the seized drugs was India.'
Describing widespread trafficking in cannabis herb and cannabis resin throughout South Asia, where climate conditions are highly suitable for their cultivation, the INCB noted seizure of 2.3 tonnes of cannabis in Bangladesh in 2008.
Major sourcing and influx of illicit drugs into Bangladesh crossing borders is quite an open secret, said former adviser to the caretaker government ASM Shajahan.
'Information is there that many illicit drug manufacturing units are in operation across the borders and they eye Bangladesh market mainly,' said Shajahan, also a former inspector general of police. 'Strong international criminal and financial networks control Bangladesh's drug supply chain.'
Observing that Bangladesh's narcotics department is weak to keep watch and prevent influx of illicit drugs into Bangladesh, Shajahan said 'A strong national and functional unity by major political parties against drug abuse is also absent.'
Emphasising that the government should make a broad-based study on the issue and engage it in Bangladesh-India diplomatic priorities, Shajahan said, 'The Bangladesh government should seek India's cooperation in tracing and eliminating the cross-border drug smuggling networks.'
An expert who works with an international programme of drug prevention, said, accusation against India as the major source of illicit drugs in Bangladesh would not resolve such a chronic problem.
'The question on how illicit drugs enter Bangladesh makes Bangladesh's government and border guards greatly responsible there,' he said. 'Drug abuse problems should be addressed with multifaceted programmes — supply reduction, harm reduction and demand reduction.'
http://www.newagebd.com/2010/mar/01/front.html
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