Is it possible to get success in the advocacy of decriminalization drug use in Bangladesh within Zero Tolerance Policy?

Background

Ten years after the establishment of the Global Commission (2011), it has been observed that more and more countries are decriminalizing drug use and adopting innovative approaches based on public health. But in a country like Bangladesh where high-level political commitment is in favor of ‘zero tolerance’ towards the drug control including its use, is it feasible to conduct advocacy for decriminalization of drug use?

Description

There are at least seven million drug user in Bangladesh and the problem has been increasing day by day (DNC 2017). Thus, to solve the problem, ‘zero tolerance’ policy against drugs had been announced in 2018. New Narcotics Control Act (NCA) enacted in same year. During that time, law enforcing agencies including Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), an elite force, started huge crackdown against drug dealers and as well as users to stop it “at any cost”. Newspaper reporting said that at that time law enforcement agency have killed number of alleged drug dealers in gun battles. Also, it is evident that the prisons in Bangladesh were four-fold overcrowded and among the prisoners around 70% were from drug related cases.  

Lessons learned.

NCA does not support harm reduction program in Bangladesh and distribution of sterile needles and syringes has been treated as abetment to commit crime. Since 2018 to 2020 was a very difficult time for harm reduction program.  So called ‘War on drugs’ has created huge challenges for the interventions.  In February 2020, a joint mission from UNODC and Global Fund came to Bangladesh and recommended the country to initiate advocacy for drug decriminalization and policy reform to achieve a sustainable change in drug use issue. Accordingly, Save the Children as Principal Recipient (PR) of the Global Fund HIV grant hired Technical Assistance (TA) support to develop a ‘National Framework for decriminalization of drug use’. During the period, they organized discussions with various GO and NGO stakeholders including Ministry of Home Affairs, Department of Narcotics Control (DNC), Department of Police, UNAIDS, UNODC etc and developed a national framework for five years to achieve the goal ‘decriminalization of drug use’. TA suggests some acitivities incloduing building a government ownership for drug policy reform, undertake local research on matters related to drug policy, increase learning on decriminalization of drugs for use and personal possession, conduct legal revisions and itemize laws that require changes, find consensus for an alternative sentencing mechanism. 

Conclusion 

Advocacy for ‘decriminalization of drug use’ have taken positively by the narcotics control department (DNC), AIDS/STD Program (ASP) and other relevant agencies. It might take some time to get success, but if this approach could be implemented thoughtfully and can engage high level of political leadership in the process, Bangladesh would become a leading country in the region to lessen drug related harms and consequences.