Jahangir Alam

Drug dealers try and attract the attention of delinquents by asking if they need ‘Tamak-baba’, street names for hem and yaba, at the Karwan Bazar Railway area, a hotspot of illegal drugs in the capital.

The unabated sale of illegal drugs continues openly there amid the relaxed attitudes of law enforcement agencies and the Department of Narcotics (DNC).

Visiting Karwan Bazar Railway area recently, dealers were seen waiting for buyers and approaching them openly to purchase drugs.

A drug dealer who identified herself as Jharna, aged around 50, approached our correspondent and asked him if he needs “tamak-baba.”

When this correspondent replied that he did not understand what she meant, Jharna explained that Tamak means ganja, also known as marijuana or hem, and baba means contraband Yaba pills. When the UNB correspondent asked for the price, she said a small packet (puria) of ganja sells for Tk 100 and a yaba pill costs Tk 300.

In the meantime, a man aged around 60 came to the spot and asked our correspondent if he needed heroin, which would cost Tk 300 per puria.

To get some information regarding illegal drug trading in the area from them, the UNB Correspondent bought one puria of ganja from the woman.

Talking to UNB, Jharna said several women and youths in the area are engaged in illegal drug dealing, and there are also several linemen who control them.

When asked whether police, Rab or DNC people are regularly raiding there, she replied that they are not so active. But when they do, most of the time they somehow get prior warnings.

Local residents alleged that despite numerous drives by the law enforcement agencies, including Department of Narcotics over the years, the Karwan Bazar railway area in Dhaka city remains a major hotspot for illegal drug selling. They are increasingly frustrated as drug dealers appear to operate with impunity.Visiting the area, it is learnt that drug dealers, including women with infants, discreetly sell illegal drugs along the railway tracks, particularly near the busy wholesale fish market area.

Besides, multiple criminal groups reportedly control different segments of the railway line, with operations extending up to the Tejgaon rail crossing. There are also allegations that some of these groups enjoy the protection or tacit approval of certain law enforcement officials, including local DNC officials, complicating efforts to combat the trade.

Despite several attempts to curb the problem, including large-scale raids, the drug trade in the area continues.

According to media report, a major operation was conducted by police comprising around 1000 members in May 2018, to dismantle the drug trade in the area. However, the operation was widely criticized for its lack of secrecy, as the authorities had publicly announced the raid in advance, giving drug dealers ample time to flee.

Although 47 people were detained, many were reportedly day laborers or street vendors with no apparent connections to the illicit drug trade, raising concerns about the disproportionate targeting of innocent individuals.

Later, another crackdown was launched by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) in early 2024, but it also yielded limited results. Law enforcement officials seized significant quantities of yaba and cannabis, but critics argue that the operations have lacked follow-up actions or long-term strategies to dismantle the entrenched networks of drug dealers. The drug trade continues to flourish in the area, despite the occasional high-profile arrests and seizures.

Residents and business owners of the locality have expressed growing alarm at the social and economic impact of the ongoing drug trade. The open-air drug sales have contributed to rising insecurity in the area, leading some businesses to close early or relocate. Parents in the vicinity are also concerned about the impact on children and young people, who are frequently exposed to the trade.

Salamat Ullah, a trader of Karwan Bazar area, said despite law enforcement agencies' efforts to control the illegal trade, it continued due to lack of coordination among the law enforcement agencies.

He said that comprehensive reforms, including better coordination between various law enforcement agencies, intelligence gathering, and community engagement, are must in order to disrupt the illicit drug trade and restore order to the Karwan Bazar railway area.

Despite repeated attempts, the commanding officer of Rab-2 battalion Additional DIG Md Khalidul Hoque Hawlader refused to give any comment in this regard.

When his attention was drawn about publicly selling of illegal drugs in the Karwan Bazar rail line area, Director General of DNC Khandker Mostafizur Rahman said the DNC operational teams have been continuously conducting raids in the area to contain illegal drug trading.

He also said that it is not possible to control illegal drug trade by only conducting drives, rather it is needed to reduce demand. If demand increases, then supply will increase. To reduce the demand, they have been conducting various motivational campaign in educational institutions, including School, Colleges and universities across the country.

The guardians have to be conscious about their children in family level so that they (children) are not involved in drug addiction, the DG DNC said.

When attention was drawn about the Karwan Bazar illegal drug hotspot, Officer in Charge of Tejgaon Police station Md Mubarak Hossain told UNB that they have already arrested at least 50 drug dealers in last 3-4 months. Besides, Detective Branch (DB) of the DMP also conducts drives from time to time. Despite all this, the illegal drug trade continues to thrive.

The OC said they have plans to carry out a big operation, and also keep mobile teams ready round the clock to contain the illegal drug trade.