DHAKA, April 22, 2025 (BSS) – Filed level officials of Department of Narcotics Control (DNC) now use 9mm semi-automatic pistol during anti-drug operations as the government has finally given approval to a relevant policy on Monday.
  
On Monday, the government issued a gazette on the "Department of Narcotics Control (Officers-Employees) Weapon Procurement and Usage Policy (Amended) 2025" to strengthen the DNC and address the security risks of its officials face during the field level operations against drug traders. 
 
 As per the gazette, a total of 579 filed level officials of the DNC from deputy directors to sub-inspectors have been entitled to use 9mm semi-automatic pistol. 
Of them, 90 were deputy directors, 93 assistant directors, 186 inspectors and 210 sub inspectors.
 
The government has given arms to 579 officials out of its total manpower of 3059.  Of the total manpower, 1806 officers and employees including one director general, four directors, nine additional directors, 90 deputy directors , 93 assistant directors, 186 inspectors, 210 sub inspectors, 285 assistant sub inspectors and 928 sepoys have been working in the field levels to curb narcotics related crimes. 
  
Earlier on December 12 last, the government approved "Department of Narcotics Control (Officers-Employees) Weapon Procurement and Usage Policy 2024."
       
 The DNC had earlier prepared a policy outlining the inevitability of equipping agency members with firearms to ensure their protection during the drives against the notorious drug peddlers.

The DNC sent the formulated "Department of Narcotics Control (Officers-Employees) Weapon Procurement and Usage Policy 2024" to the Home Ministry on 19 September last, two days after the Home Affairs Adviser visited the DNC office and hinted at giving the force firearms along with required training to conduct successful and risk-free drives against illegal drugs.

Asked about the justification for giving firearms to them, officers concerned said, "In many cases, DNC personnel are assaulted during the drives against narcotics due to having no firearms. The firearms for the DNC personnel are needed to ensure their safety and conduct operations successfully against the drug peddlers."

They said that many of the agency personnel become frightened to conduct drives in the city's Geneva Camp in Mohammadpur and 'Chanpara Slum' near Demra as the drug peddlers there are equipped with illegal firearms.

So far two DNC persons were killed and 124 others suffered injuries during the drives against narcotics since 2014, according to available statistics of the DNC.
The matter of allowing the DNC personnel to use firearms has been discussed since 2007 in the DNC Board led by the late Dr Zafar Ullah Kazol. However, it did not see the light due to a lack of initiatives from the government side.

Later on 30 June 2021, the DNC advisory council formed a five-member committee headed by the senior secretary of the Security Services Division of the Home Ministry to look after the issue.

In the latest move in July, 2024, a five-member committee was formed to devise a policy by one month to provide the DNC personnel with firearms.

The committee was entrusted with the responsibility of deciding who would get firearms, the method of preserving those, and giving training to the users of the firearms.