Despite regular operations and the recovery of a huge quantity of drugs almost every day by the members of law enforcement agencies, various types of drugs are still easily accessible in almost every corners of the city streets and the labyrinths.
Especially slums of Rajshahi are now the havens for drug traders, drug users and the peddlers. Hundreds of drug traders in the city are still continuing their trade either by evading the law enforcement agency members or by 'managing' them.
According to sources, Bagan Para near court station under Rajpara thana is infamous for Phensidyl, Heroin, Yaba and Cannabis( Ganja) trade. So, the Seroil Colony slums, railway station slums, Padma bank slums, Panchabati, Talaimari, Kajla, Binodepur, Mathurdanga, Dargapara, Alupatty, Padma Housing area, Tikapara( in front of former Aftab Chairman's house, Naohata, Naodapara, Bus stand and truck stand areas are.
Moreover, there are many mobile drug traders. Hundreds of drug addicts come on motorcycles, private cars and rickshaws for purchasing drugs in those places every day. It is learnt, in Baganpara slum more around 100 families are engaged in drug trading. One Rabbul is allegedly their leader. He controls the entire drug trade of this slum.
Railway station area, Serial colony and backside of railway hospital areas are also havens for drug traders and addicts. After evening, many drug traders sit there with Phensidyl, Heroin, Yaba, Ganja and local brew. Young men and low-income group people like, rickshaw pullers, helpers of buses and day labourers are the main customers there.
Guri Para under Rajshahi court has been infamous for drug trading and smuggling for a long time. Once almost every house of this area used to sell all sort of smuggled goods including Indian Sarees, Cosmetics and utensils but now the supply of those items being waned, drug trading has replaced those houses.
Mainly Phensidyl, Yaba and Heroin addicted people visit here. Roads and alleys of this area are always full with drug addicts, traders and peddlers. Rabi, Nadira, and Mojibar are wholesale drug traders of this area. One Milon used to control the entire drug trading of this area.
Some drug traders are seen to sell various types of drugs at Rajshahi University Railway Station area. They also ferry drugs from Fine Arts Institute to Motihar.
Students of Rajshahi University are mainly the customers of those drugs which are mainly Cannabis( Ganja), Phensidyl and local brew( Cholai wine). Among the drug traders, Sentu, Salim, Solaiman and Joshna sell Ganja and Rafique sell Phensidyl in this area.
Another haven of the drug is Panchaboti area of the city. A resident of the area informed several dozens of drug traders are continuing their trade in the slum of Panchaboti by managing law enforcers.
There is a police outpost within one hundred yards of the slums. Hundreds of unknown people visit the slums and purchase the drug from various shanties here.
Drug traders are also seen waiting at the roadside with drugs in their bags and packets and sold those to the drug addicts.
Abdul Mannan, a lecturer of a local college said, an organised syndicate was engaged here in all sort of drug trading and peddling. The syndicate members often threatened anyone protesting their infamous trade.
It is learnt, often the drug-traders are arrested by RAB and Police but within a week of their arrest, they come out on bail from the court and restart their trade.
RAB-5, Rajshahi sources informed, drugs are mainly carried from Cox's Bazar, Chittagong, Shibganj (Chapai Nawabganj) and Kakonhat areas through train buses and trucks. However, Railway police Sub-Inspector Imdadul Haque denied the allegation of any sort of involvement of railway police with the drug peddling.