Barguna Municipal Krishak Dal President Sohel Khan Arrested With 150 Yaba Tablets, Sent to Jail
Police have arrested Sohel Khan, president of the Betagi municipal Krishak Dal in Barguna, with yaba tablets. Betagi police station officers arrested him from the Betagi food warehouse area at midnight on Friday (23 October).
Police said that acting on a tip-off, they raided the food warehouse area of the upazila at night and arrested Sohel Khan with 150 yaba tablets. The tablets were recovered from him during the raid, police said.
The arrested Sohel Khan serves as president of the Betagi municipal Krishak Dal. The arrest of a leader holding a top local post in a political party's affiliate organisation, caught with drugs, has sparked discussion in the area.
Local sources said he has allegedly been involved in the drug trade for a long time. The same sources said he had also been arrested several times before.
Betagi police station officer-in-charge Enamul Haque said the identified drug dealer Sohel was arrested with yaba and a case was filed against him under the Narcotics Control Act. According to police, the raid was conducted on the basis of secret information.
After the case was filed, he was produced before a court on Saturday (24 October). The OC said that after the hearing, the court ordered him sent to jail.
Yaba is one of the biggest concerns in the drug situation across the country, including the southern region. Police regularly conduct drives to stop drug trafficking and dealing in coastal districts such as Barguna, and this raid was carried out on a tip-off as part of that continuing effort.
However, the allegations of long-running drug dealing against a top local leader of a political organisation — and of remaining involved despite repeated arrests — have raised questions locally. No comment was available from the political organisation concerned.
Police say anti-drug drives will continue. The case filed against the arrested man is under investigation, and legal action will also be taken against anyone else found involved in the investigation.
Sohel Khan remains in jail for now. The future of the case will be determined through the investigation and further court proceedings.
