LSD drug found while investigating DU student Hafizur’s death

Detective Branch of Dhaka Metropolitan Police has seized Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) drug from a house in Dhaka. They recovered the drug while investigating the death of Dhaka University student Hafizur Rahman. This is the first instance of recovering this hallucinogenic drug in Bangladesh.

DB also arrested three private university students accused of selling the drug on Wednesday night. The arrested students are Lupol and Turja of North South University and Adib of Independent University, a source of DB on condition of anonymity confirmed Prothom Alo.

DB would hold a press conference over the matter on Thursday afternoon.

DB sources told Prothom Alo that the group used to sell LSD through a Facebook group named ‘Apnar Abba’. Lupol manages the group consisting of over one thousand members.

Lupol had dropped out of Institute of Business Studies (IBA) at Dhaka University and was admitted into North South University later.

The drug is imported from Sweden while payment is made through Paypal, said DB sources adding that they seized 200 strips of LSD. They would sell each LSD at Taka 3,000.

DB said three friends of DU student Hafizur made him take LSD in Curzon Hall area of the university on 15 May. Hafizur later left the place wearing shorts. He hacked himself with a machete of coconut seller near the Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) main gate. He died at the hospital at 9:40pm as unknown person. Hafizur’s brother identified his body at DMCH morgue eight days later.

Hafizur’s friends and different student bodies called for investigation into his death.

DB police sources claimed three friends who made Hafizur consume the drug are in police custody. All of them are students of DU.

According to the website of US based pharmaceutical encyclopedia drugs.com, LSD was first synthesized in 1938. It is synthetically made from lysergic acid, which is found in ergot, a fungus that grows on rye and other grains. It is so potent its doses tend to be in the microgram (mcg) range.

“It's effects, often called a "trip", can be stimulating, pleasurable, and mind-altering or it can lead to an unpleasant, sometimes terrifying experience called a "bad trip",” according to the website.

LSD is usually found on the streets in various forms, such as blotter paper, tablet or capsule form, liquid or cube form.