Senior BNP leader Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain has termed the surrender of yaba dealers to police in Cox's Bazar a farce.
"The government has been talking about various steps to prevent drugs over the last 12 years, but has failed to bring down drug addiction. The country has got ruined due to drug abuse. What you're seeing (in the name of surrender of yaba dealers) is a farce," he said on Sunday.
The BNP leader came made the remarks at a discussion meeting on the repression of women and children, arranged by the BNP at the National Press Club.
On Saturday, a total of 102 yaba traders, including 29 godfathers, as termed by the police, surrendered to Cox's Bazar police, with 3.5 lakh yaba tablets and 30 firearms at Teknaf Pilot High School's playground.
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal attended the surrender program as the chief guest while Inspector General of Police, Dr Javed Patwary, was present as a special guest.
Mosharraf, a BNP standing committee member, said listed drug dealers suddenly surrendered to the police in the presence of the Home Minister and the IGP.
"We would like to ask why the police didn't arrest them earlier and put them on trial when they had the list of drug dealers. Now they (yaba dealers) are being implicated in cases in such a way that they can come out of jail through loopholes of the law."
The BNP leader said police could not take action against those traders as ruling party men are involved in drug peddling.
Mosharraf said the country has been witnessing an erosion of social and moral values for lack of democracy in the country.
"To get rid of the current situation, we must restore a democratic atmosphere in society, and people's rights."
He urged people of all walks of life to unite to free the country from the grasp of the current 'autocratic' regime and to restore democracy.
The BNP leader also bemoaned that the Prime Minister being a woman is repressing a former woman prime minister in jail, by unfairly convicting her in a 'false' case. "It won't be possible to restore democracy in the country without freeing Khaleda Zia."
