Many public representatives of Teknaf upazila have left the area after the countrywide anti-drug campaign began last month.

There are six unions and one municipality in Teknaf where at least one lawmaker and 30 other public representatives are in drug lord list prepared by the government.

Acting Upalzila Nirbahi Officer Md Rabiul Islam said some representatives are not in the area and it might disrupt the development work.

The list includes every level of public representatives starting from parliament member to UP member. Except the lawmaker, all of them went into hiding, said local sources.

A Teknaf Upazila administration source said, in a meeting over drug smuggling held on May 30, all the public representatives except two were absent. “May be they left the area in fear.”

Observing that development works in the upazila are being hampered for this reason, he said, “As most of the public representatives of Teknaf are in the drug dealers’ list, they went into hiding since the campaign began. Some of them are outside the country now.”

On anonymity, a teacher from the upazila said some of them joined yaba business after being elected while some were elected by the ‘power of money’ amassed through yaba business.

“This involvement of public representatives in drug dealing is a very bad sign for the locality. They should be brought to book,” he added.