Staff Reporter

As the interim government has started reforming at different sectors to make the country free from corruption, bribery and drugs, right then allegation of involving with massive irregularities has been intensified against some officers and employees of the Directorate of Narcotics Control (DNC) in Sirajganj, which is tarnishing the images of the concerned department as well as the incumbent government.

According to the allegation, some unscrupulous officers and employees of the DNC in Sirajganj in collaboration with some so-called sources (informers) have been engaged in public harassment, extortion and bribery in the name of conducting search operation at different transports on highways.

Though, it was alleged that, the officials conduct drive at different places including on highways almost regularly, they don’t enlist the seizure goods in the official record books accordingly to deceive the eyes of high-ups. Most of the valuable goods including gold ornaments, mobile phones, drugs and clothes are sold outside after grabbing from drivers and passengers, and then the money is shared among themselves of the participants in the drives.

As a result, many guiltless people lose their valuable goods and are deprived of defend due to lack of legal process.

Seeking anonymity, some transport drivers complained that, they are not getting remedy even after submitting several allegations to the authorities concerned of the Directorate of Narcotics Control. In contrary, the harassment in the name of anti-drug drives at different transports is on the rise.

The complainants said, a section of DNC officials in Sirajganj use some unauthorized persons, who are called as sources or informers, for searching activities after intercepting various vehicles including buses, trucks, motorcycles, microbuses and private cars.

The unauthorized people wearing formal uniform or coati contained the logo and name of DNC take part in the drive and conduct searching to different transports and even individuals. Mainly, their goal is to harass the drivers and passengers, and grabbing several valuable goods from them creating panic. Sometime, they snatch away their personal documents, mobile phones and gold ornaments, if they refuse to pay extortion. The unauthorized checkers realize big sum of money from someone showing fear of filing case in narcotics act.

They almost use some places of Dhaka-Rajshahi, Dhaka-Bogura and Bogura-Nagorbari highway including Hatikumrul intersection, locally known as Sirajganj Road Gol-chattar as the place is considered as entrance point for the both sides’ transports.

Frequent incidents create agitation among the passengers and drivers of different transports.

On Wednesday (January 15, 2025) last, a team of DNC officials including Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Mst. Mina Pervin, Sepoy Md. Sohel Rana, Md. Sohan Alam, Md. Akbal Hossain and Oliur Rahman, Mst. Nahida Akhtar led by Md. Emdadul Haque Khan, Inspector of DNC “Kha” circle in Sirajganj took position at Hatikumurl intersection at around 11:00am and used some unauthorized individuals to conduct searching operation on different vehicles.

Due to suspicious attitude, locals informed the matter to some journalists. When the journalists including The Daily Sky Correspondent reached to the spot, they found that the unauthorized youths wearing formal dresses (uniform) and short coats (coati/jacket) of DNC were engaged in searching of some vehicles after intercepting those on highway. Due to their so-called searching operation, long queues were created on the highway that causes immense suffering to the commuters.

Sensing the presence of journalists, the unauthorized youths managed to escape by running. The officer and employees of DNC had been noticed the matter from hiding and also went away shortly evading the cameras.

When the on duty journalists attempted to take comment from the Inspector Emdadul Haque Khan and other involved persons, they declined to make any comment in this regard showing excuse of official limitation.

Mohammad Ruhul Amin, DD of DNC in Sirajganj. Photo: Collected

While contacted, Mohammad Ruhul Amin, Deputy Director (DD) of the Directorate of Narcotics Control in Sirajganj admitted the incident and said, “Using official uniform or coati or jacket along with DNC logo or name by the unauthorized persons is absolutely offense. I have come to know that, they were engaged in such malpractices, which is violation of service rules. I however, issued a show cause notice against the Inspector Emdadul Haque Khan regarding this matter asking to reply by three working days. Necessary action would be taken after getting the reply.”

In a query on being a top boss of the office, how you will avert your own liabilities from your staffs’ devil acts, he denied to answer.

WHO ARE THE INFORMERS?

When the identities of the unauthorized individuals, who took part in that operation, were sought by The Daily Sky correspondent from Mohammad Ruhul Amin, Deputy Director (DD) of the Directorate of Narcotics Control in Sirajganj, he avoided the matter. But, the office insiders seeking anonymity said that, most of the so-called informers have been involved with drug peddling for long. The DNC officials use those people as their accomplices during the so-called raids. Though, they conduct raid often, the recovered goods go disappear instead of enlistment in the government record books. As a result, the numbers of seized goods and cases are lower than the drives.

QUESTION OVER NUMBERS OF DRIVES AND RECOVERIES:

There are many questions over the numbers of drives and recoveries. According to the data of Directorate of Narcotics Control in Sirajganj, a total of 1400 drives were conducted and 390 cases were filed accusing 381 persons in 2023.

During the drives, the organization seized about 43 kg and 811 gram of hemp, 13,650 pieces of Yaba pill, 387 bottles and 8 litres of Phensidyl, 936 ampoules of intoxicating injection, 98.81 gram of heroin, 89.5 litres of local liquor (Cholai Mod), 960 litres of wash, 5.25 litres of foreign liquor, 100 litres of palm wine or toddy, 1.95 litre of Intoxicating drugs, 2 piece of tapentadol, 10 motorcycles, 3 mini trucks, 2 mobile phones and cash Tk 24,400.

In 2024, the members of DNC in Sirajganj conducted 1360 drives at different places and filed 368 cases accusing 380 persons. Of them, five are now absconding.

During the drives, the officials seized 108kg and 637 gram of hemp, 7354 pieces of Yaba tablets, 636 bottles and 10ml of Phensidyl, 46.99 gram of heroin, 961 ampoules of intoxicating injection, 82.300 litres of native liquor, 250 litres of wash, 92 pieces of tapentadol, 4 pieces of tramadol, 4 pieces of diazepam tablet, one piece of diazepam injection, 60 bottles of rectified spirit, 100ml of toluene, 2 buses, one truck, 2 private cars, 1 motorcycle, 2 mobile phones and cash Tk 3 lakh from the accused.

But, insiders claimed that, the number of seized goods is very less compared to the number of drives. Due to irregularities of the officials, most of the recovered goods are not listed. Those go disappear.

They further said, though some unscrupulous officials of the DNC in Sirajganj had been involved with such offensive activities for long, no action was taken against them earlier due to unknown reason.

Advocate Rafique Sarker, Public Prosecutor of Sirajganj District Judge Court said, “No unauthorized person has a right to conduct operation using any uniform of the government organization or law enforcement agencies. All of the officials and so-called informers are responsible for such illicit deeds. The high-ups should bring them to book immediately. Otherwise, such as crimes will be continued.”

Muhammad Nazrul Islam, Deputy Commissioner (DC) in Sirajganj said, “Action would be taken after investigation.”