Drug dealers are taking advantage of the opportunity

With Bangladesh preparing for a free, fair, and transparent national parliamentary election on 12 February, law enforcement and administrative agencies are fully occupied with election-related duties. This heightened focus has inadvertently created a window of opportunity for drug traffickers, whose illicit operations have surged amid a reduction in regular anti-narcotics crackdowns.

According to the Department of Narcotics Control (DNC), a significant portion of the drugs seized in Bangladesh originate from neighbouring India and Myanmar. Traffickers are exploiting all possible routes—land, water, and air—to smuggle illicit substances into the country. Once inside, drugs are rapidly distributed from urban centres to rural areas, spreading their reach across society.

Experts attribute the rise in drug use to multiple social factors, including curiosity, family discord, unemployment, failed relationships, peer pressure, negative influence of social culture, and general despair. While men constitute a large portion of users, female addiction is rising at an alarming rate. Although official statistics on drug users are scarce, the private organisation Manosh Nirodho Shongstha (MANOS) estimates that around 15 million Bangladeshis currently use drugs. Annually, this illicit consumption costs the country approximately BDT 60,000 crore (around USD 4.8 billion).

The narcotics trade involves a vast network of facilitators, including financiers, dealers, couriers, and sellers, comprising roughly 200,000 individuals. Each year, this network expands, and it is estimated that Bangladesh loses around USD 481 million (BDT 5,147 crore) annually due to drug trafficking. Beyond financial loss, the proliferation of drugs is inflicting severe physical harm and jeopardising the cognitive and social development of a generation of young people.

Despite law enforcement efforts, only about 10% of smuggled drugs are intercepted. Various agencies—including DNC, the police, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), and the Coast Guard—conduct regular operations to curb narcotics. According to BGB reports, in 2025 alone, major seizures included:

During these operations, 2,334 individuals were arrested for involvement in drug trafficking. DNC Director General Md. Hasan Maruf stated that anti-drug operations continue unabated, with intensified measures implemented ahead of the election. He stressed close coordination among law enforcement agencies to apprehend traffickers without exception.

Prof. Dr Arup Ratan Chowdhury, chairman of MANOS, warned that the nation’s estimated 15 million drug users are largely ignored, allowing traffickers to expand their operations unchecked. Meanwhile, Dhaka University social welfare specialist Dr. Touhidul Haque highlighted that major state events, such as elections, often distract authorities, providing traffickers a chance to operate freely.

The government asserts that intelligence-led operations, targeted raids, and inter-agency coordination are ongoing, with no tolerance for offenders, even amid election-related distractions.