List of drug traders and Myanmar's political will

While tension prevails between Bangladesh and Myanmar over the refugee issue, the conference of the border forces of the two countries focussing on drugs is a positive step. It is no secret that the drug yaba is being smuggled into Bangladesh from the Shan state in Myanmar, adjacent to the Golden Triangle. It has long been alleged that a section of Myanmar army is involved in the illegal drug trade. Yaba is at the centre of Bangladesh's brutal anti-narcotic war. Myanmar is the main supplier of this destructive drug. According to many people, stopping the supply of yaba pills could have been the main issue of Dhaka-Naypyidaw relations if there was no Rohingya crisis since the yaba has turned into a burning issue for Bangladesh.

The armed forces of Myanmar claim that the Rakhine state is fully under control so nothing of the drug traders there should be unknown to them.

The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) handed over a list of fugitive drug traders to the Border Guard Police (BGP) of Myanmar during the conference. It should not take long to free Bangladesh from the curse of yaba if the Myanmar authorities are sincere in this regard. We hope, as a close neighbor, they will not shut their eyes to Bangladesh’s all-out initiatives to save its youth from the consequences of drugs. Measures like extrajudicial killings will shrink if the source of drugs can be successfully destroyed.

According to news reports, the 11-member Myanmar delegation, led by its chief of police general staff brigadier general Myo Than, has also shown concern about the prevalence of yaba.

Removal of landmines along the border also remains a long unresolved issue. Even before the sharp decline of bilateral relations with Myanmar over the Rohingya crisis, Bangladesh failed to achieve any diplomatic success in asking Myanmar to shut down the sources of yaba or ensure removal of landmines. At least now the two sides have agreed to joint patrolling of the borders to curb drugs, arms, children and women trafficking and all other types of border crimes.

We hope initiative will be taken to increase the frequency of such meetings between the border forces of the two countries. The issue of curbing drugs in Myanmar, as in Bangladesh, is a concern of the home ministry. According to the constitution, Myanmar army chief Min Aung Hlaing is responsible for the appointment of the home minister, who is also an important member of national security council. This is why it is essential for him to take all possible measures to ensure the political will at a top level in Myanmar to control drugs.

Under the present circumstances Bangladesh must uphold its stand on Rohingya repatriation. It is hoped this issue will be stressed during the impending visit of our foreign minister to the country. Bangladesh has to take pragmatic steps on raising the issue before the next border conference in 2019 in Naypyidaw and also at other forums.