Two female members of the Mazbari Union Parishad in Rajbari’s Kalukhali upazila have been arrested with 30 yaba tablets in Pাংশা, according to the district Detective Branch (DB) of police.
Rajbari DB Officer-in-Charge Md Mofizul Islam confirmed the arrests at around 8am on Wednesday (26 August).
The arrested women have been identified as Mosa Hamida Khatun, 47, wife of Abdul Mannan Mondal of Mohanpur in Kalukhali, and Sajeda Begum, 40, wife of Kadar Ali Mondal of Char Kultiya.
Hamida Khatun is an elected reserved-seat member representing Wards 1, 2 and 3 of Mazbari Union Parishad. Sajeda Begum represents the reserved seat covering Wards 7, 8 and 9 of the same union.
According to Md Mofizul Islam, a DB team led by Sub-Inspector Shimul Sheikh conducted an operation in the Pাংশা Model Police Station area on Tuesday afternoon. During the operation, officers stopped the two women on the paved road in front of the Wood Ward Furniture shop on College Road in Pাংশা municipality.
Police said they recovered 30 yaba tablets from the spot and arrested the two women on allegations of involvement in the illegal drug trade. Legal proceedings have subsequently been initiated against them.
The arrests have drawn attention because both women are elected representatives of the same union parishad. Their alleged involvement in a drug-related case has also raised questions locally, although the allegations against the accused will ultimately be determined through the legal process.
Mofizul Islam said the operation was part of the police’s efforts to tackle the illegal trade and distribution of narcotics in the area. Yaba, a tablet containing methamphetamine, is a widely trafficked illicit drug in Bangladesh and remains a major concern for law-enforcement agencies because of its distribution through local networks.
Kazi Shariful Islam, chairman of Mazbari Union Parishad, said he had heard that two female members of his council had been arrested with yaba. However, he said he had not yet received any official communication from the administration regarding the arrests.
Police said further legal action would be taken in accordance with the relevant laws.
