MP Badi and family involved in yaba trade

A Bangladesh government investigation has revealed that a ruling party MP is controlling the principal point of entry through the border for the illegal club-drug yaba.

A list, prepared by the Department of Narcotics Control (DNC), says Cox’s Bazar-4 MP Abdur Rahman Badi is the person in control of the route, and many others work under him in the illegal drug trade.

The list names 10 people including his brother, several in-laws, uncle and nephew.

Senior law enforcement officials in Cox’s Bazar are saying they have already begun cracking down on the drug traders on the list.

They said orders from the top were not to let go of anyone influential, and they were doing just that.

A field-level official, however, said they were “cutting the branches before felling the tree”.

Teknaf’s Awami Swechchasebak League President Jahed Hossain Jaku, who was listed by the home ministry as a yaba trader, died in a ‘gunfight’ with RAB and BGB along with one associate on Sunday.

Locals said Jaku was close to MP Badi.

According to Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), yaba enters Bangladesh chiefly through 45 points on the border of Cox’s Bazar.

The DNC list says there are over 1,200 yaba dealers in Bangladesh. In a 2012 list, this figure was 554.

bdnews24.com has obtained a copy of this list, released on Jan 23.

It names Badi’s brothers Abdul Shukkur, Mujibur Rahman, step-brothers Abdul Amin, Faisal Rahman, his in-law Akhter Kamal, Shahed Kamal, uncle Haider Ali, cousin Kamrul Islam Russel, nephew ‘Nipu’ and many of his followers.

Badi told bdnews24.com on April 28 he knew nothing about his name being on the list.

“It must be some sort of mistake,” he said.

“I’m a twice-elected parliamentarian. The prime minister and the home minister are against yaba, so am I,” he had added.

He alleged that some local reporters had been bribed by the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami to destroy his reputation. He would soon face the media about this, he had further said.

On Sunday, he told bdnews24.com he was admitted to Apollo Hospital in Dhaka with a heart ailment.

A law-enforcement official seeking anonymity told bdnews24.com Badi was one of the main targets of the yaba bust.

“That’s why we’ve started arresting his associates first. This will weaken him.”

The official said a drive would be led against Badi when “orders come from above”.

A narcotics department official said drug traders would be dealt with no matter what their political background.

“When the government leads a drive against drugs, it will be a drive against all of them,” DNC Director (operations) Pranab Kumar Niyogi told bdnews24.com.

“The home ministry has prepared a combined list. It includes not just our list but those from other agencies as well,” he said.

BGB 42 Batallion Commander Lt Col Abu Zar Al Jahid said he had received a list of yaba traders from the home ministry and BGB was taking actions.

“The prime minister has instructed that yaba must be eliminated. No matter how influential, we will not let them go,” he said.

“The list is classified. We can’t say who’s on it, but whoever is will be brought to book,” he added.