Political Patronage and Illegal Drug Business in Bangladesh

Abstract

<p><em>The aim of this paper is to map out political patronization as instigation behind framing the epidemic form of illegal drug business throughout the country and to find out major potential factors for political leaders to patronize illegal drug business in Bangladesh. Illegal drug business has emerged as a deep concern for Bangladesh in the last one and half decade because of its devastated characteristics. Bangladesh cannot not produce chemical required for manufacturing of drugs but it is turned into a wide drugs market because of its geographical location. Four thousand kilometers land border of India by three sides and two hundred fifty kilometers land border of Myanmar at the South Eastern corner encompasses the country. Heroine, phensedyl, injecting drug, cannabis are trafficked into the country from India through Western and Eastern border (Satkhira, Rajshahi, Jessor, Jaypurhat, Dinajpur, Comilla, Bramhonbaria)&nbsp; and yaba from Myanmar through the South Eastern border (Cox&rsquo;s Bazar district). Department of Narcotic Control report 2016 indicates that drugs business is flooded over the country which handicapped the total development process of the country. Policy makers respond to illegal drug business. Different strategies and tactics have been taken to protect the country. (&ldquo;Where does Bangladesh&rsquo;s War on Drug Go from Here, 2018) Narcotics Act 1990 of Bangladesh empowered Bangladesh police, Bangladesh Ansar, Bangladesh Coast guard, Border Guard of Bangladesh, Bangladesh Customs to take the necessary steps against illegal drug business. Govt. has taken some initiatives to control drug business and it has declared zero tolerance policy to drug business. But all of these initiatives have been failed due to various contentions. Political patronage is one of them which worked behind framing drug business epidemic in the country. The paper has followed a qualitative approach by applying content analysis method.</em></p>

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