The border area of Bangladesh, India and Myanmar has been becoming dreadful, dangerous place. In this triangle area of several thousand kilometers, huge quantity of opium is being produced, which is one of the raw material of heroin. In addition, manufacturing of lethal weapons is going on in the area. Using this zone, the lethal drugs like Yaba are entering into Bangladesh through Sun State, which is known as the ‘Golden triangle’ of drug manufacturing.
This tri-national area, which has become a haven for drugs and weapons, is called the 'Black Triangle' as it is inaccessible and a paradise for crime. Security analyst Major (retd) Emdadul Islam said, "There are vast inaccessible areas on the border between Bangladesh, India and Myanmar. No country has authority over this huge border area of several thousand square kilometers. Therefore, some separatist and terrorist organizations have chosen this remote area as a safe haven. Weapons and drugs are being sold at a large rate in this area.”
Humayan Kabir Khondkar, deputy director of the Chittagong divisional intelligence office of the Narcotics Control Department, is researching the crimes in the border areas of the country. He said, “The tri-national remote mountainous area of Bangladesh, India and Myanmar has now become a hub for arms trade crime. Heroin is being produced on a large scale in remote areas. At the same time, drug shipments from the Sun State are spreading through remote areas to Bangladesh, India and Myanmar, which is an ominous sign for us.”
According to the investigation, the location of the Black Triangle is in the remote mountainous areas of Bangladesh, India and Myanmar. The location of the Black Triangle has become a crime state covering several thousand square kilometers of Mizoram state in India, Bandarban and Rangamati in Bangladesh and China and Rakhine state in Myanmar. Bangladesh, India or Myanmar have no control over this area of thousands of square kilometers as it is inaccessible. Hence the area is being controlled by various terrorist groups based in Myanmar. Opium, one of the ingredients of drugs, is being produced at a large scale in this region. Apart from this, Yaba shipments are also coming at bulk quantity from Sun State, known as the Golden Triangle, the drug capital of Myanmar. Large consignments of yaba are entering into the country from the Black Triangle through Rangamati, Bandarban and Cox's Bazar. In addition to drug trafficking, sophisticated firearms are being manufactured at a large scale in this area known as the Black Triangle, which is being spread through existing terrorist groups separatist organizations in Bangladesh, India, and Myanmar. A coalition of separatist organizations from Kachin and Sun State control the Black Triangle. The name of this alliance is 'Northern Alliance,’ now known as 'Brotherhood'.
Furhermore, the Black Triangle is controlled by various terrorist and separatist groups. Among these are Arakan Army, Kachin Defense Army (KDA), Kachin National Front (KNF), Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), China National Army, Kuki China National Front (KNF), China Defense Force (CDF), China Liberation Army. and Mizu National Front (MNF). Additionally, there are at least 15 other groups and subgroups in the region. The study of 'Golden Triangle to Bangladesh' revealed the prevalence of drugs in the Black Triangle. According to the study, opium is being produced by rebel groups in remote areas of the country. The area's drug production may soon overtake the Sun State, the drug capital. There are fears of Indian precursor chemicals being used in the production of yaba in the Black Triangle. As a result, many drug factories will be set up in this region. If this happens, Yaba smuggling will further increase using Bay of Bengal through Mizoram state and Naf river.
Researcher Humayan Kabir Khandkar said, “It takes certain elements to become a crime-prone area. Such as remote areas, rivers and seas, all of which are located in the border areas of Bangladesh-India-Myanmar. As the Golden Triangle includes the Mekong River, the Tri-Border Area is becoming a haven for commercial crime with the combination of the Naf River and the Bay of Bengal. If effective action is not taken now, the Black Triangle will become very dangerous for the region.
@The report was published in Bengali on print and online versions of The Bangladesh Pratidin on August 18 and rewritten in English by Lutful Hoque
