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DOMESTICLAWANDRULESONDRUGS
We had no adequate and enabling law in the eighties to handle the sordid condition
created by drug abuse and the related issues. All that we had at that time were some
coloniallaws(theOpiumAct,1878,theExciseAct1909,theDangerousDrugsAct1930,
theOpiumSmokingAct1932andtheProhibitionRules,1950)inheritedfromtheBritish
and Pakistan period. These laws were intended and designed for earning government
revenues through excise levying activities. These laws, however, proved to be
inadequate to suit the needs of the time. The Government of the People's Republic of
BangladeshenactedtheNarcoticsControlActin1990repealing all the colonial laws
withaviewtoencounteringdrugproblemtruetotheaspirationofoursociety.

DownloadPDFFormat:
TheNarcoticsControlAct1990:
@NarcoticsControlAct1990(Amendmentupto2004)(ClickHere)

RelevantActsandRules:
TheNarcoticsControlRules,1999
TheNationalNarcoticsControlBoardFundRules,2001
AlcoholControl(LicenseFee)Rules,1991(Revised2002)
AlcoholControl(LicenseFee)Rules,1991(Revised2014)
ThePrivateSectorDrugAddictionCounselling,Treatment&
RehabilitationCentreControlRules,2005.
DepartmentalRecruitmentRules,1994
UniformRulesofDNC,2014
Thelegalopinionontheissueofsentencingasamphetamine
ofthewholeamountofYabatablet.

TheNarcoticsControlAct1990:
TheNarcotics Control Act, 1990 was passed in 1990 by repealing all previous laws for
control of narcotics, treatment and rehabilitation of drug addicts. The government has
enactedtheNarcoticsControlAct,1990asamendedin2000,2002and2004inorderto
updatethelaw.

FeaturesoftheNarcoticsControlAct,1990:

The Narcotics Control Act, 1990 (as amended in 2000, 2002 and 2004) has got the
following salient features reflecting the growing needs for effective encounter against
drugsmugglingontheonehandandcorroboratingontheothertheinternationalefforts
tocontainthisproblem.

1. TheNarcoticsControlAct.1990cameintoforceon2ndJanuary,1990.
2. Itisaspeciallawhavingpredominanceoverotherlawsinrespectofitsambit
andjurisdictionondrugsanddrugrelatedissues.
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Interceptionofillicitdrugtraffickingthroughlawenforcement,controlofnarcotic
drugs and psychotropic substances used in medical, industrial and scientific
purposescoupledwithtreatmentandrehabilitationofthedrugaddictsunderlie
theproprietyofthislaw.
It provides legal coverage for establishment of the Department of Narcotics
Control(DNC)astheNodalAgencyofthegovernmenttofulfilltheobjectivesof
thelawinquestion.ItalsoprovidesthelegalbasisforformationoftheNational
Narcotics Control Board (NNCB) as the highest policymaking body of the
government for formulating necessary policies and strategies to combat drag
probleminthecountry.
The Narcotics Control Act. 1990 empowers not only the Department of
NarcoticsControlbutalsotheotheragenciesofthegovernmentlikethePolice,
theBDR(thebordersecurityforce),theCustomsandtheCoastguardfordrug
enforcementactivities.
Further the law provides for mutual cooperation among the different law
enforcementagenciesasandwhenrequiredforconductofsearch,seizureand
arrests.
Thelawintroducesaneffectivelicensingsystemforcontrollingimport,export,
manufacturing,processing,distribution,sale,transport,possessionanduseof
licit narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and precursor chemicals. The
Narcotics Control Rules, 1999 is the legal instrument for carrying out the
licensingprovisionsenshrinedinthelaw.
This law prescribes deterrent punishment for various categories of drug
offencesaswellasforbreachoftheconditionsofthelicensesissuedunderthe
law.
The law prescribes the highest penalty of death sentence for the offenders
accused of possessing either heroin or cocaine or cocaine derivatives
exceedingthequantityof25grams.Similarlytheillegalpossessionofpethidine
or morphine or possession of tetrahydrocanabinal exceeding the quantity of
10gramsrenderstheoffenderoroffendersconcernedliabletodeathsentence
orlifelongimprisonment.Deathsentencehasalsobeenprescribedforcertain
otherdrugoffencesofseriousnature(Section19ofthelaw).
The law takes the wisdom of the three major UN Conventions and the SAARC
Conventiononnarcoticdrugsandpsychotropicsubstancesparticularlyinregard
toforfeitureofsaleproceedsofillegaldrugbusiness,freezingofbankaccounts
and properties, sending of juvenile offenders to the correction centre in lieu of
imprisonment, inclusion of the controlled delivery technique, compulsory
maintenanceofaccountsoflicitdrugsbythelicenseholders,incorporationofthe
22precursorchemicalsandsoon.
ThelawprovidesthelegalbasisfortheChemicalLaboratoryoftheDepartment
ofNarcoticsControlanditsproperfunctioninginrespectofforensicanalysisof
all seized drugs and suspicious substances. This lab, established in Dhaka,
caterstotheneedsofalltheagencieschargedwiththeresponsibilitiesofdrug
enforcement and thereby it plays an important role in quick disposal of drug
casesundertrial.
Theamendmentof2000tothelawbringsaboutthegovernmentfirstforayinto
thecontrolofprecursorchemicalsfromdrugcontrolpointofview.
An amendment of 2002 has introduced the minimum time limit of 15 days for
completionofinvestigationofdrugcasesfiledunderthislaw.
Another amendment in 2004 redefines alcohol by reducing the lowest limit of
alcoholicstrengthfrom5%toonly0.5%.Anyliquidpreparationcontainingmore
than 0.5% alcohol shall fall within the purview of the law. This amendment is
intendedfor safeguarding our young generations from the clutches of the so
calledenergy(alcoholic)drinksandtheirbadimpacts.
Thelawhasgot61Sectionsinall.IthasgottwoSchedulesofwhichthefirst
scheduleliststhenarcoticdrugsandpsychotropicsubstancesincludingthe22
precursor chemicals. The second schedule on the other hand lays down the
ratesofexcise duties to be imposed on the domestically produced liquor and
alcoholicspirit.
The law is a unique combination of legal provisions comprising violation

16. The law is a unique combination of legal provisions comprising violation

sections,penalsections,hybridsections(prescribingviolationandpunishment
together),modusoperandisectionsandadministrativesections.

17. Adorned with the foregoing features, the Narcotics Control Act. 1990 (as
amendedin2000,2002and2004)standstobeadequateandenablingenough
tomeetthechallengeofthetime.

OtherRelevantActsandRules:
CriminalProcedureCode,1898
SpecialPowerAct,1974
TheMoneyLaunderingPreventionAct,2002
AcidControlAct,2002
SpeedyTrialTribunalAct,2002
MobileCourtNirdesika

OtherlawsandRules:

ExciseRules
ExciseManualVolume1
ExciseManualVolume2
ExciseManualVolume3
TechnicalExciseManual
ProhibitionRules,1950(ForControlofAlcoholdrinking)
TheNarcoticscontrolRules,1999
TheNationalNarcoticscontrolBoardFundRules,2001
AlcoholControl(LicenseFee)Rules,2002
AcidControlRules,2004
ThePrivateSectorDrugAddictionCounsellingTreatment&Rehabilitation
CentreControlRules,2005.

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2012AllRightsReserved,DepartmentofNarcoticsControl
MinistryofHomeAffairs