Parliament has passed the Narcotics Control Bill 2018 with a provision of death penalty for yaba manufacturing, distribution and trade.
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan moved the Bill and it was passed by voice vote on Saturday.
“In recent times, the use of yaba has increased in the country significantly and creating serious health hazards for the people,” he said while introducing the Bill.
According to the new law, the punishment for transporting, trading, storing, producing, processing, applying and using 200 grams of Yaba or its principal ingredient methamphetamine will be the death penalty or life-term imprisonment.
In case of less than 200 grams of Yaba, the punishment will be minimum one year in jail and maximum five years of imprisonment alongside the fine.
Yaba and amphetamine substance group were included in the A-category narcotics in the proposed law, even though it is not in the existing Narcotics Control Act 1990.
The punishment for transporting, trading, storing, producing, processing, applying and using more than 25 grams of narcotics originated from heroin, cocaine and coca will be the death penalty or life-term imprisonment, while for less than 25 grams (A-category narcotics) will be minimum two years of imprisonment and maximum 10 years of jail.
According to the Bill, the maximum punishment for any individual or organisation financing or patronising drug dealing will be the death penalty.
If any individual or organisation finances, provides money, instigates or patronises such crimes, they will face similar punishment as per the law.
Alongside Yaba, Shisha and dope test were incorporated in the draft bill as the existing Narcotics Control Act 1990 does not address these. The chemical of Khat drug was also mentioned in the proposed law.