Dhaka: Mentioning that drug traders used to get released from jail due to weakness in the previous law, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan on Thursday said there is no loophole in the new law.

He made the remarks while addressing a workshop on the review of different aspects for enforcing amended Narcotics Control Act 2018 at the Department of Narcotics Control at Segunbagicha in the city, reports the UNB.

‘We’ve already achieved enough success in preventing militancy and terrorism. We’ll surely succeed in controlling drugs, Inshallah,’ the home minister said.

On October 27 last, the Narcotics Control Bill was passed in Parliament with a provision of death sentence or life-term imprisonment as punishment for producing, trading, and using 200 grams or more of yaba, or more than 25 grams of heroin and cocaine.

According to the new law, the punishment for transporting, trading, storing, producing, processing, applying and using 200 grams of yaba or its principal ingredient amphetamine would be the death penalty or life-term imprisonment.

Yaba and amphetamines were included in the list of Category A narcotics in the new law, even though it is not in the existing Narcotics Control Act of 1990.

The new law will come into effect on December 27.

The home minister said they formulated the new law bringing necessary amendments to the Narcotics Control Act 1990. All departments concerned, including law enforcement agencies and the DNC, can work jointly from December 27 as per the new law.

Describing youths as the country’s assets, he said drugs stand in the way of millions of young educated youths to change the country. ‘This youth society loses their ability to work, service attitude and creativity due to drug addiction and they become a burden for the nation in the process.’

Asaduzzaman said drugs like Yaba are poisoning the society and families, affecting people from all classes. ‘The use of Yaba has seen a rise at all levels — from the poor to day-labourers, students of schools, colleges and universities to the rich.’

He said godfathers of Yaba peddling will be punished under the Money Laundering Act while the DNC can take action under the new law in case of emerging any new drug.

Security Services Division Secretary under the Home Ministry Farid Uddin Ahmed Chowdhury and DNC Director General Md Jamal Uddin Ahmed also addressed the programme.