Geneva Camp in Mohammadpur, notoriously dubbed the “drug capital” of the city, remains abuzz with the activities of drug dealers, whose presence begins before dawn and continues well into the night.
The half-kilometre stretch of the camp is lined with drug traders who are frequently heard beckoning potential customers with the phrase, “What do you need, big brother?” They are ever ready to accommodate their clients.
A violent gunfight erupted last Saturday around 6pm, allegedly due to disputes over dominance in the drug trade. At least three people, including a child, were injured during this brutal clash.
Later that night, another skirmish ensued over similar turf disputes.
Despite the intensity of these incidents, by morning, the area was once again teeming with drug traders as though nothing had happened.
On Sunday, 20 August, at around 10am, taking the College Gate route towards Geneva Camp via Gajnavi Road appeared ordinary, but upon turning right towards the camp, the unsettling sight of young Bihari men stationed at regular intervals greeted visitors.
As younger men passed, the dealers would loudly inquire, “What do you need, big brother?” Some youths were seen responding to these calls.
This scene involved individuals from various walks of life, including rickshaw pullers, CNG drivers, and others, moving towards the dealers as summoned.
Within the half-kilometre stretch of Geneva Camp, this reporter encountered at least a dozen drug dealers, who, too, approached the reporter with their trademark offer: “What do you need, big brother?”
When asked about the open solicitation, a local vegetable vendor explained that the individuals were mostly selling cannabis.
However, he clarified, “It’s not just cannabis; they can provide all sorts of drugs if one connects with them.”
Another local resident revealed that most of the people in this Bihari camp are cannabis and yaba dealers, saying, “This is their trade; no one can question them here. They are the de facto authorities of this area. Anyone who dares speak against them faces fatal consequences, and the police cannot touch them.”
Several residents echoed these sentiments but were unwilling to be named due to fear of repercussions.
Law enforcement officials reported that the local police station struggles with manpower shortages, making it challenging to manage the rising threat effectively.
Following the recent gunfight, Mohammadpur Police Station Officer-in-Charge Ali Iftekhar, remarked, “We are taking legal action regarding the incident, but with the limited personnel at our station, managing the situation is challenging.”
On Saturday (26 October), a gunfight among drug dealers at Geneva Camp in Mohammadpur resulted in gunshot injuries for three individuals: Amin, 27, Shafiq, 32, and Sajjan, 8.
The injured were taken to Shaheed Suhrawardy Hospital for treatment.
Witnesses from the area described the incident, noting that gunfire erupted within the camp, creating panic far worse than usual.
The sudden shots sent residents of Tajmahal Road, Babar Road, and Humayun Road scattering in fear.
All shops and traffic froze as gunfire echoed intermittently well into the night, according to locals.
Sources suggest that former Member of Parliament Jahangir Kabir Nanak provided rifles, cocktails, and other heavy weaponry to Geneva Camp’s drug dealers as a countermeasure against Anti-Discrimination Student Movements.
Following Sheikh Hasina’s ousting, these illegally acquired arms, combined with those looted from Mohammadpur and Adabor police stations on 5 August, have fuelled violent clashes over the past two months.
Six people have lost their lives, with several more gravely injured during these altercations.
The primary figures in this ongoing conflict are Geneva Camp’s top drug lords: Shohel alias Bunia Shohel, Galakata Monu, Chuya Selim, Akram, Shah Alam, Picchi Raja, and Kalim Jambu.
The absence of robust action from local police, RAB, and the military has allowed this conflict to spiral, with Geneva Camp transforming into a veritable warzone.
