Drug Lords’ Expanding Empire Threatens Public Safety and Youth

The illegal drug trade remains a serious threat to public life and the younger generation in Bangladesh’s southwestern region despite regular drives by law enforcement agencies. Drugs including Phensedyl, Yaba, marijuana and Ice are reportedly entering through border routes in Jessore, Satkhira, Kushtia, Jhenaidah, Chuadanga and Meherpur. Areas of Satkhira, including Shyamnagar, Debhata and Kaliganj, are being used as key routes. A recent Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) operation destroyed drugs worth around Tk 32 crore in the border area, highlighting the scale of the smuggling network.

Smugglers are reportedly using remote border areas and river routes to evade law enforcement. Drugs are also being transported to major cities, including Dhaka, through courier services and digital payment systems. Khulna, Satkhira, Jessore, Narail and Bagerhat have also seen frequent drug seizures and arrests. However, authorities face difficulties in stopping the supply chain as major financiers and alleged godfathers often remain beyond the reach of the law.

Khulna Metropolitan Police Commissioner Md. Sajjadur Rahman said, “The Yaba invasion in Khulna has taken a terrifying turn.” He said traders are adopting new methods and that unemployment is contributing to the expansion of the Yaba trade. The police, he said, are working to eliminate all forms of drug trafficking.
Drug availability has contributed to rising addiction among school and college students and young people.

Residents have reported increased violence, theft, robbery and other crimes linked to drug abuse. Experts and local citizens say police operations alone cannot solve the problem. They have called for greater family awareness, closer monitoring of young people’s activities and stronger, intelligence-based operations targeting both retailers and the financiers behind the drug trade.