The warning signs are unmistakable. The Arakan Army, an armed group based in Myanmar, has become a central player in flooding Bangladesh with yaba pills, creating a crisis that threatens not only public health but also national security. Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has confirmed that the group is pushing vast quantities of these highly addictive pills across the frontier, often using Rohingya traffickers and unscrupulous local collaborators to spread the poison deep into Bangladeshi communities.
The scale of the threat is staggering. Nearly 80 percent of yaba pills now enter through coastal routes at Maheshkhali, Banshkhali, Kutubdia, Anwara, and Kuakata, evading traditional land patrols. From there, the drugs spread inside Bangladesh and are even smuggled to other countries, including across Northeast India, posing a grave regional danger. Already, millions of pills and dozens of weapons have been seized in Cox’s Bazar and Bandarban since mid-July, evidence of a well-armed and organized network.
Bangladesh cannot afford hesitation. The government must step up coordination between BGB, the navy, and the coast guard, strengthen maritime and hill patrols, and launch aggressive intelligence-led operations. The Arakan Army’s drug trade endangers youth, destabilizes borders, and undermines regional security. Firm action is overdue.