Govt plans to set up special courts to deal with drugs cases

The government has decided to establish special courts in all districts and metropolitan cities of Bangladesh to swiftly dispose of narcotics-related cases.

The decision was made during a cabinet meeting presided over by the prime minister at her office on Monday and it marks a departure from previous plans to set up a tribunal to deal with drug offences.

The cabinet accordingly approved amendments to 22 articles of the Narcotics Control Act to that end.

According to the provisions of the anti-narcotics legislation, the government must publish gazette notifications over the formation of tribunals and appoint judges from the rank of additional district judge, said Cabinet Division Secretary Sheikh Mujibur Rahman after the meeting.

In the absence of an additional district judge in any district, a sessions judge is required to oversee trial proceedings in the drug tribunal in addition to his own duties. It falls upon additional district and sessions judges to settle such cases until a drug tribunal is formed.

"But due to administrative reasons, the authorities have not formed anti-drugs tribunals or conferred the responsibility of dealing with such cases on district or sessions judges till date," said Mujibur.

"As a result, there have been difficulties in penalising numerous of drug-related offences through trials. The number of cases is only growing and it has not been possible to bring the offenders to justice."