Drug crimes now carry up to death

Parliament last night passed the Narcotics Control Bill 2018, keeping the provision for the death sentence or life-term imprisonment for anyone found carrying more than 200 grams of yaba or more than 25 grams of heroin or cocaine.

The bill, placed by Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, was passed by a voice vote despite objections from several lawmakers of the main opposition Jatiya Party.

The opposition MPs termed the bill “cruel” and said it could not be accepted as people would be given a death sentence or life term just for carrying such small amounts of narcotics.

They said that there were instances of law enforcers planting drugs on people and of innocent people being tricked into carrying the drugs but there was nothing in the bill for those. 

“Even we see that police in many cases are also involved in victimising people in this regard,” JP lawmaker Shamim Haider Patwari said while opposing the bill.

“There is no second option in the proposed law if a person becomes an innocent victim of carrying yaba, heroin or cocaine. They must face either a life-term or a death sentence.”  

His concerns are validated by several media reports on instances where some policemen were accused of planting drugs on people to implicate them in drug cases and extort money.

In September of this year, two sub-inspectors of Pirganj Police Station in Rangpur -- Swapan Kumar and Jahangir Alam -- were suspended for attempting to implicate a farmer in a drug related case by putting five yaba pills in his pocket.

Meanwhile, in the parliament, the JP MPs proposed that the House invite public opinion on the bill before it was passed, but the proposal was rejected.

Responding to the objections, the home minister said that the same punishment was mentioned in the Narcotics Control Act enacted in 1990, adding that methamphetamine was now included in the list of dangerous drugs.

“We have included the most dangerous drug yaba in the bill as it is destroying our youth. Besides, we have included punishing those people under the bill who are involved in trading and financing drug businesses, including [those related to] yaba,” he said.

Methamphetamine substances were classed as Class-A narcotics in the proposed law.

“We will not be able to build the nation as per the government's vision-2021 or vision-2041 if our meritorious youth lose their path.”

Khan also said a total of 1,596 people were given the capital punishment under different criminal cases, although none were filed under the Narcotics Control Act.

While the bill reserves the death or life-term sentences for carrying more than 200gms of yaba or methamphetamine, there is also a minimum of one year to a maximum five years of jail time, alongside a fine, for carrying smaller amounts of the drug.

According to the Department of Narcotics Control, about 50 methamphetamine pills weigh five grams, meaning roughly 2,000 pills would result in the highest punishment under the bill.

Additionally, for carrying less than 25gms of heroin or cocaine, the penalty will be a two to ten year jail sentence.

The maximum punishment for any individual or organisation financing or patronising drug dealing will be the death penalty.

Shisha and khat are also mentioned in the draft bill, while there is a part on incorporating dope tests, as the existing law does not address these.