Manpower shortage hampers anti-drug drive in Ctg

These limitations, as claimed by the officials concerned, have been creating a negative impact on the overall performance of the narcotics department of Chittagong metro sub-zone since last fourteen years.

"The metro zone has, at present, 29 officials against a total strength of 41. This shortage of staff is a serious impediment to our smooth operations," said AKM Shahidur Rahman, deputy director of the zone, yesterday.

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He said, "We depend largely on the Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) to conduct our anti-drug drives. Some times we fall in awkward situation when we do not get the cops despite our requisition".

"We badly need a reserve force comprising at least 10 police to spearhead our drives effectively," he said adding that the Dhaka offices of the department have this advantage.

Sources said the metro zone comprising 12 police stations had filed a total of 3,542 cases till July this year since its inception in 1990.

Of them, only 1,176 cases were disposed of while the rest 2,366 cases are yet to be disposed of by the civil court and the magistrate's court, sources said.

"The rate of the disposal of cases is not satisfactory," admitted an official on condition of anonymity. He said in the current year, only one out of 169 cases, lodged by the department, was disposed of.

Sources said around 714 male and 69 female criminals were handed down punishment with different terms while 474 male and 97 female criminals were acquitted during the period.

None was given capital punishment while only seven criminals were awarded life-term imprisonment, said the deputy director.