Bangladesh’s National Parliament has passed the Narcotics Control (Amendment) Bill 2026, introducing the death penalty for illegal drug trading conducted through digital platforms such as social media, mobile apps, e-wallets, or cryptocurrencies. The bill, approved on July 13 but not yet gazetted, removes the requirement to recover physical drugs in cyber-related cases, sparking nationwide debate. It also calls for establishing special tribunals in drug-prone areas and allows confiscation of digital devices or accounts used in such crimes.
Legal experts have expressed concern that the absence of mandatory drug recovery could lead to misuse and wrongful convictions based solely on digital evidence like chat screenshots. Some lawyers warned this could increase police harassment and false accusations. However, senior Supreme Court lawyer Manzil Morshed supported the law’s intent, emphasizing the need for careful enforcement to prevent abuse.
Officials from the Department of Narcotics Control said the law responds to rising online drug trade since the COVID-19 pandemic and aims to strengthen cyber surveillance to curb narcotics distribution.
আমার দেশ অনলাইন প্রকাশ : ১৬ জুলাই ২০২৬, ১০: ২২আপডেট : ১৬ জুলাই ২০২৬, ১০: ২৫ সাইবার স্পেস ও ডিজিটাল প্ল্যাটফর্ম ব্যবহার করে অবৈধ মাদক কেনাবেচার ক্ষেত্রে সর্বোচ্চ শাস্তি মৃত্যুদণ্ডের বিধান রেখে জাতীয় সংসদে ‘মাদকদ্রব্য নিয়ন্ত্রণ (সংশোধন) বিল ২০২৬’ পাস
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