Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh’s southernmost district, has become a focal point for yaba trafficking and tobacco cultivation despite ongoing law enforcement operations. The district’s proximity to Myanmar through land and sea routes has made it a key entry point for drugs. In recent months, authorities have seized millions of yaba tablets in multiple operations across Teknaf and Ukhiya, yet the flow continues. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s visit to the district has prompted local calls for stronger anti-drug measures.
Law enforcement officials report that about 80 percent of yaba enters Bangladesh via sea routes along the Ukhiya-Teknaf and Naikhyangchhari borders. Despite frequent raids and court verdicts, many key traffickers remain at large. Meanwhile, economic hardship and unemployment have driven many locals into the drug trade. Police officials warn that enforcement alone cannot solve the problem without broader social and economic reforms.
Alongside the drug crisis, tobacco farming has rapidly expanded across 27 unions along the Bankkhali and Matamuhuri rivers, replacing food and flower crops. Experts and officials warn that the spread of tobacco cultivation is depleting soil fertility, damaging forests, and threatening local ecosystems.
জমির উদ্দিন, চট্টগ্রাম প্রকাশ : ১৩ জুন ২০২৬, ০৮: ৪৭ বাংলাদেশের সর্বদক্ষিণের জেলা কক্সবাজার। প্রকৃতিক সৌন্দর্যের লীলাভূমি এ জেলার সঙ্গে প্রতিবেশী মিয়ানমারের সঙ্গে জল ও স্থলপথে সীমান্ত রয়েছে। এ সীমান্ত দিয়েই বছরের পর বছর মিয়ানমার থেকে মাদক আসছে দেশে। ম
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