Own Correspondent: All 17 unions and municipalities of the upazila have benefited from drug trafficking and the open secret drug trade in South Chittagong’s Patia upazila. Out of reach are identified drug dealers and violent arms smugglers who are listed by the police.
Even after eight or ten important sensational drug and weapons cases are ongoing, the identified accused are roaming around in the drug and weapons trade. Especially in the wards of Kachuai Union, the situation has become chaotic. Prominent residents of the area are of the opinion that this is happening because there is no supervision of the local police station and public representatives.
According to the search on the ground, on July 23, 2022, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB-7) seized 3 pistols, 1 three-quarter weapon, and 3 rounds of cartridges along with Amanat Ullah Bacha, son of Chayed Baidya, a resident of Ward No. 2 of Kathuai Union under Patia police station. Later, the case was registered at Patia police station. One of his accomplices is Shahed alias Chhota Shahed, son of Zahidul Haque (accused in about 7 cases) from the same union, who is accused in many drug and arms smuggler and terrorist cases.
On the other hand, under the leadership of Mohammad Rubel, the son of Badhu Mia, a resident of the Pathanpara area of Ward No. 16 of Kachuai Union, a bustling drug and arms trade is being conducted throughout the upazila. Even after there are so many cases against the criminals, the huge crime empire continues to show thumbs to the administration.
According to various sources, Amanat Ullah Bacha, being the leader of Jubo Dal, a member organization of the nationalist party, is independently carrying on the business of drug and arms trafficking with the cooperation of the dangerous leaders of the ruling party, the Awami League. On the other hand, Chhota Shahed and Rubel are reported to be involved in Jubo League politics. In collaboration with the Yaba traders of Cox’s Bazar’s Teknaf, these drug dealers have built a drug capital in all the unions and municipalities of the upazila. A social organizer who did not wish to be named told the reporter that, besides Yaba in Cox’s Bazar Teknaf, the brewed alcohol is coming from Bandarban in the hilly district to Patia Upazila in the southern district by using the mountain tunnel of Rangunia in the northern district via Kelishahar via the village metho path. And the top drug dealers in the district are leading behind the scenes in these businesses.
The social organizer also said that yaba and liquor are being sold in more than 200 spots in Gota Patiya. The local common people are not finding any way because of their power and political party shelter. The imams of different mosques said that the civilized youth society is not able to raise its voice against this drug, so some youth among the youth are getting involved in this drug use and business.
When asked about the exemplary punishment and repression of all these listed criminals directly under the shelter of the political party identified by his name, the newly elected Member of Parliament from Chittagong’s Patia and South District Awami League President Bir Muktijoddha Motaherul Islam Chowdhury MP said over the phone, “My election promise was to eliminate drugs and terrorism from Patia.” Those who are smuggling drugs and weapons under the shelter of the government political party will be suppressed with a strong hand. Among other things, it has become difficult to prevent Yaba and weapons, so I want to proceed very strategically. I have already held a meeting with the municipal mayor and municipal councilors of the upazila and all the chairmen of the unions to build resistance. No exemption will be given to any party involved in drug dealing; not only the Kachuai Union but all unions and wards are on the lookout. I will send the list of them to the administration very soon so that they are brought under the law and this disease of the society is alleviated.
After having so much information, how can drug and arms-smuggling terrorists like Amanat Ullah Bacha, Shahed alias Chhota Shahed, and Mohammad Rubel continue their empire of drugs and terror in broad daylight? District Police Additional Superintendent of Police (Additional SP Patia) Mohammad Ariful Islam over the phone. He said that the matter has come to the fore again after the elections. On the orders of the Chittagong District Superintendent of Police, operations are being conducted to list newly registered and newly born drug and arms smugglers, and surveillance has been increased in the entire area. The clear statement of the local MP is that even if the culprit is my father and brother, there is no exemption.
Officer-in-Charge (OC) of District Police Intelligence Branch (DB) Noor Ahmed said, “The operation is ongoing; all those criminals are under our watch; no one will be exempted if we get specific information.” A criminal has no party; whoever he belongs to, he must be caught. On Sunday, March 3, raids were conducted in various upazilas of South Chittagong, among which a case was registered in Banshkhali. Raids are underway in Lohagara, and we will conduct raids in Patia very soon.
Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Patia Police Station, Jasim Uddin, said over the phone that, according to the orders of DIG Sir and Chittagong Police Superintendent, our beat policing activities are going on in the neighborhoods. Patia Police is active in suppressing all types of crimes, starting
Kachuai Union earlier had the highest number of cows and buffaloes stolen; now it has come down a lot. And we have kept this issue under surveillance. Through local investigations, we identify listed criminals and gang members with political asylum, as well as conducting tip-off operations.
