‘Accurate list’ will guide coordinated drug crackdown in Cox’s Bazar: home minister

The government will prepare an "accurate list" of those involved in drug smuggling in Cox's Bazar and Rohingya camps, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has said.

He also announced two new army camps in Teknaf to tackle kidnappings and border crime, after a meeting on the district's law and order and drug control at Cox's Bazar Circuit House on Thursday.

Salahuddin said the decision followed a review of recommendations made by a taskforce formed under the then interim government.

The taskforce, led by the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 10th Infantry Division, includes representatives from the Bangladesh Army, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), Bangladesh Coast Guard, Bangladesh Navy, Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI), National Security Intelligence (NSI), the Department of Narcotics Control, the district administration and other agencies.

Once the list is completed, authorities will take coordinated action against those identified, the minister said.

The home minister said yaba remained the country's most widely used illicit drug, putting a large section of young people at risk of addiction. 

According to him, preventing drug smuggling, curbing the spread of narcotics and tackling drug abuse are among the government's top priorities, alongside action against gambling, violence and extortion.

Joint force camps will be set up along routes identified as drug trafficking corridors, while the navy and coast guard will step up patrols on rivers and at sea, he said.

Salahuddin said many CCTV cameras installed in the Rohingya camps were no longer functioning and would be restored. 

Authorities will also identify people used as yaba couriers in the camps and bring them under the law.

The government has also decided to register Teknaf fishermen and their boats to strengthen surveillance on the Naf River and coastal areas, making it easier to detect smuggling and other border-related crime, he said.

The meeting also discussed the recent rise in kidnappings in Teknaf. 

Local lawmaker Shaheen Chowdhury raised concerns over civilians being abducted for ransom in hilly areas, with discussions indicating links between some incidents and drug trafficking networks.

The army has been asked to help prevent kidnappings, and the GOC has agreed to establish two new camps in Teknaf. 

The plan will be implemented through formal coordination with the army, the minister said.