Published: 01:30 PM, 21 April 2026
Khulna become safe corridor for drug smuggling
Khulna has become a major corridor for drug smuggling, with traffickers exploiting 13 border ghats to transport Phensedyl and Yaba and other narcotics from Cox's Bazar to Jashore via Khulna.
According to the sources, , there are 137 people, including 124 men and women, among the top drug smugglers in 10 districts of Khulna division. There are more than a hundred top and medium drug dealers who are not registered. There are several thousand local dealers. All these top drug dealers are distributing drugs in different regions with their own forces. School and college students are also often used to carry drugs. Drug shipments are coming to Khulna in various ways through cargo vehicles, pickups, trucks, and courier services. Police, RAB, and law enforcement agencies seize large shipments of drugs including Yaba, Phensedyl, and marijuana from different parts of Khulna division. Although the drug traffickers are arrested, the godfathers remain out of reach.
Smugglers have increasingly favoured this routes, using a variety of tactics to evade detection. There are special shelters for political and law enforcement personnel in drug trading. And the godfathers are getting involved in murders over drug routes, disagreements over border smuggling, and division of the profits.
The underworld is becoming active in these connections. Because of this, more than fifty murders have occurred in the Khulna area in the last 16 months. More than 200 incidents of violence have occurred. Even though the police finally moved, the drug dealers and the underworld are unable to cope with it.
Experts believe that drugs are entering educational institutions at a large scale. The rate of educated youth is high among drug addicts. Many are dropping out of education. Drugs are now easily available everywhere in the country. They can be found in cities, towns, villages, and even in rural areas. The involvement of young people with various drugs including Yaba, heroin, Phensedyl, marijuana, opium, charash, Bengali liquor, gul, morphine, cocaine, LSD, and cholai liquor is increasing.
The area near the Bhomra land port in Satkhira district of Khulna division, 7 ghats in Debhata and Kaliganj upazilas, which divide India and Bangladesh by the Ichamati River, and 6 ghats in Kalaroa upazila, are where drugs come in every day.
Drugs are smuggled in boats, rafts, trawlers, and sometimes by river crossing. Some corrupt police officers from several police stations including the Border Police and KMP Khulna are involved in this.
A list of top drug traffickers by an intelligence agency shows that there are 137 top drug smugglers in 10 districts of Khulna division. Of these, 9 are in Khulna, 20 in Jessore, 4 in Satkhira, 26 in Bagerhat, 7 in Jhenaidah, 21 in Narail, 11 in Meherpur, 10 in Chuadanga, 8 in Kushtia, and 21 in Magura. Among these top drug smugglers, 13 are women. However, they have a huge network at the field level. The number of local godfathers in that list is more than 500.
Officials of the Khulna Narcotics Control Department say that raids are being conducted every month and the accused are being arrested and we are continuing our efforts.
In Khulna, a city with a population of more than 2.6 million, there are only two vehicles in the Narcotics Control Office. As a result, the raids and monitoring activities of this office and the two circles under it are going on amidst extreme difficulties and tension. In addition, several important posts are vacant in the office.
Khulna Metropolitan Police (KMP) Deputy Police Commissioner (North) Mohammad Tajul Islam said, "People involved in drugs are now involved in the crime trend. There is no hesitation in saying that even though drugs are being sold in Khulna, the police are always vigilant and regular raids are going on. I hope that under the leadership of the new Police Commissioner.
, we can make Khulna drug-free, InshaAllah."
Afroza Akhter Manju, Executive Director of Mukti Sheba Sangstha, said, "The number of patients in our drug treatment center is increasing, which indicates that the menace of drugs is increasing in the society."
She called on the civil society to form a social movement in this regard.
>>BM Rakib Hasan in Khulna
