Crackdown on drugs, gambling to begin after April 30

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed on Monday said a coordinated nationwide drive against drugs, gambling and online betting will begin after April 30.

He made the announcement in parliament while responding to a notice raised by MP Zainul Abdin Farroque, which highlighted the spread of illegal shisha lounges operating under the guise of restaurants and cafés in residential areas. The minister said shisha has been classified as a ‘Category Kha’ narcotic under the Narcotics Control Act 2018 (amended in 2020), and reiterated that the government considers drug abuse a national problem.

He noted that despite legal challenges by business owners, enforcement efforts have continued, with the Department of Narcotics Control conducting regular drives. He also said the Appellate Division has vacated interim orders that previously allowed such establishments to operate.

Citing recent operations, the minister said authorities seized significant quantities of shisha and hookahs from illegal outlets in Gulshan-2 earlier this month.

To prevent re-emergence of such businesses under new names or locations, intelligence surveillance has been intensified, with coordination among law enforcement agencies and involvement of the Dhaka North City Corporation.

The minister also said that alongside contesting writ petitions in the High Court Division, the Department of Narcotics Control has been conducting regular drives against shisha bars. The issue of illegal shisha lounges operating under the cover of restaurants and cafés in residential areas has also come to the attention of the Dhaka North City Corporation.

Such activities are harmful to public health, urban order and law and order, and are unacceptable under any circumstances, he said.

He further noted that surveillance is ongoing to ensure that illegal shisha lounges cannot operate by changing addresses or hiding within residential premises. Building owners are being made aware through beat policing to prevent such activities.

Any police personnel found supporting such businesses will face disciplinary action in accordance with the rules, he warned.

Referring to the government’s election manifesto, the minister reiterated a zero-tolerance policy against gambling, online gambling and drugs, adding: “After April 30, we will launch a coordinated nationwide drive. There is no alternative to protecting the country’s youth.”