TRW & Co · Criminal Defence & Bail
Drug Case Lawyer in Chittagong (Chattogram)
A drug case lawyer in Chittagong defends people accused under the Narcotics Control Act 2018, where the quantity recovered decides the sentence and the gravest bands carry life imprisonment or death. In Chattogram, on the main routes from the Cox's Bazar border, the defence turns on possession, search procedure and the chemical report, and on the new 2026 amendment.
Key pointThe 2026 amendment lets prosecutors bring digital drug-trading cases without any recovery of drugs, so in online cases the battle moves from the seizure list to chats, payment records and device forensics.
At a glance
Quantity decides punishment
Section 36 of the Narcotics Control Act 2018 sets punishments by substance and quantity band, from terms of years to life imprisonment or death.
Gravest yaba band
Carrying more than 200 grams of yaba, or more than 25 grams of heroin or cocaine, can attract death or life imprisonment.
2026 amendment passed
Parliament passed the Narcotics Control (Amendment) Bill on 13 July 2026, adding online drug-trading offences and dedicated tribunals.
No recovery for digital cases
For drug offences committed through digital platforms, the amendment does not require recovery of drugs from the accused for prosecution.
Procedure is the defence
Independent seizure witnesses, accurate weighing, sealed samples and a timely chemical report are recurring grounds for bail and acquittal.
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What a drug case lawyer in Chittagong deals with
A drug case lawyer in Chittagong defends people accused under the Narcotics Control Act 2018, from a young person stopped with a few yaba tablets to a driver, warehouse owner or business accused of moving large consignments. The work covers arrest and remand, bail, the investigation, the chemical examiner's report, trial and appeal.
Chattogram sees a heavy share of these cases. The city and district sit on the main overland and coastal routes from the Cox's Bazar border region, and the port, highways and rail links connect Chattogram to Dhaka and the rest of the country. Police, the Department of Narcotics Control, RAB, the Border Guard and the Coast Guard all make seizures in and around the division.
Narcotics cases turn on quantity, possession and procedure. The amount recovered decides the sentence range; whether the accused knowingly possessed it decides guilt; and whether the search, seizure and testing were done properly decides whether the evidence can be trusted. A careful defence examines all three from the first day.
The law: the Narcotics Control Act 2018 and the 2026 amendment
The Narcotics Control Act 2018 replaced the earlier 1990 law. It classifies narcotic substances, prohibits their production, possession, carriage, sale and use without a licence, and sets punishments in section 36 through a table of quantity bands for each substance. Small quantities attract shorter terms; the gravest bands carry life imprisonment or death.
For yaba, the Act's most notorious feature is that carrying more than 200 grams, or more than 25 grams of heroin or cocaine, can attract death or life imprisonment. Lower bands carry terms of years and a fine. Because the weight recorded at seizure can move a case from one band to another, weighing and sampling are central defence issues for any drug case lawyer in Chittagong.
The Narcotics Control (Amendment) Act 2026
Parliament passed the Narcotics Control (Amendment) Bill on 13 July 2026. It makes it an offence to buy, sell, supply, advertise or facilitate drug transactions through websites, social media, apps, digital payments, e-wallets, virtual assets or cryptocurrency, with penalties up to death. For these digital offences, recovery of drugs from the accused is not required for prosecution. The amendment also provides for dedicated Narcotics Offence Suppression Tribunals in drug-prone areas, while ordinary courts continue to try cases, and gives the Department of Narcotics Control firearms and dog squads.
Lawyers have warned that prosecutions based only on chats, screenshots or payment records carry a real risk of wrongful conviction. Check the gazetted text and its commencement before relying on any provision, and see our cyber crime defence page where digital evidence is in issue.
Licensing, treatment and rehabilitation
The Act is not only a criminal statute. It also regulates licences for lawful narcotic-based medicines and industrial substances, and it provides for the treatment and rehabilitation of people who are dependent on drugs through licensed centres. For pharmacies, manufacturers and importers in Chattogram, licensing compliance is the main exposure. For families, the treatment provisions matter because a documented treatment plan can support bail, sentencing arguments and, above all, recovery.
The Code of Criminal Procedure
Arrest, search, seizure, remand, bail, investigation and trial are governed by the Code of Criminal Procedure 1898 unless the Act provides otherwise. The Code of Criminal Procedure (Second Amendment) Ordinance 2025 strengthened arrest safeguards, required arrest memoranda and notification of family, and limited remand, all of which matter in narcotics arrests, where custody is often long and contested.
Agencies and courts in Chattogram drug cases
Who made the arrest shapes the case papers, the investigation and sometimes the forum. A drug case lawyer in Chittagong needs to know how each agency works and where the case will be tried.
| Body | Role | Defence focus |
|---|---|---|
| Chattogram Metropolitan Police and district police | Arrests at checkpoints, raids, case lodging | Seizure list, witnesses, arrest memo |
| Department of Narcotics Control | Specialist enforcement, licensing, prosecution | Raid authority, sampling, chain of custody |
| RAB, Border Guard and Coast Guard | Raids, border and maritime interdiction | Handover to police, delay, documentation |
| Magistrate courts | First production, remand, trial of lesser cases | Remand opposition, bail, early discharge |
| Sessions-level courts and narcotics tribunals | Trial of serious quantity cases | Charge framing, cross-examination, lab evidence |
| High Court Division, Supreme Court | Bail, appeals, revisions, quashing | Bail after refusal, sentence and conviction appeals |
Cases from Chattogram are heard within the Chattogram district judiciary, in the metropolitan or district courts depending on the police station. Lesser quantity cases are commonly tried by magistrates, while the most serious go to sessions-level courts and, once established, the new narcotics tribunals.
The first hours after a drug arrest
The first hours set the course of the case. The arrested person should be produced before a magistrate within twenty-four hours, excluding travel time. Police often seek remand, and the seizure list, the witnesses' signatures and the weight recorded become the backbone of the prosecution.
Family members should find out which agency made the arrest and which police station has lodged the case, obtain the case number, and instruct a lawyer before the first production. The lawyer can oppose remand, raise any breach of the arrest safeguards, and ask for medical examination where there are signs of mistreatment. Our article on the first 24 hours after arrest explains the steps in detail.
Documents and evidence to gather
Families can help the defence most by collecting documents early. A drug case lawyer in Chittagong will typically ask for:
- The FIR, the case number, the police station and the seizure list, once available.
- The arrest memorandum and any record of the time and place of arrest.
- National ID, proof of address, employment or student records and character references for bail.
- Vehicle registration and ownership papers where a vehicle was seized.
- Phone records, location data, CCTV requests and witness names that show where the accused was and who else was present.
- Medical records, including any history of dependency or treatment.
- Any earlier case records, so that the bail application discloses them fully.
Do not let the accused sign anything other than what the law requires, and record the names of everyone present at the search. In a drug case, the identity and independence of the seizure witnesses are often the first point a court examines.
Key defence issues in narcotics cases
Conscious possession
The prosecution must link the drugs to the accused. Recovery from a shared vehicle, a bus, a rented room or a bag carried for someone else raises real questions about knowledge and control. A drug case lawyer in Chittagong examines exactly where the drugs were found and who else had access.
Search, seizure and witnesses
Searches must follow the law, including the requirement under the Code for searches to be witnessed by independent local people. Seizure witnesses who are police informants, who cannot be traced, or who later deny being present weaken the case. The time, place and manner of seizure recorded in the papers must match the evidence at trial.
Chemical testing and chain of custody
The substance must be tested and confirmed by the chemical examiner. Delay in sending samples, unexplained differences in weight or count, broken seals and missing records are recurring defence points. Commentators have noted that weak laboratory evidence has led to acquittals in many drug cases.
Planted evidence and false implication
Planting is not a theoretical risk: there have been reported prosecutions of law enforcement officers for planting drugs on members of the public. Where the defence suspects planting, it should gather CCTV, call records, location data and witness evidence quickly, before it is lost. Our false case defence page explains the wider remedies.
Digital evidence after the 2026 amendment
Online drug-trading cases will rely on messages, social media accounts, phone extractions and payment records rather than physical recovery. The defence questions are different: who controlled the account, whether messages were attributed to the right person, whether the device extraction was done and documented properly, and whether payments were for drugs at all. A drug case lawyer in Chittagong should ask for forensic reports and device-handling records early, and consider instructing an independent examiner where the stakes justify it.
In a narcotics case the weight is the sentence. Every gram recorded at the roadside, every seal and every signature on the seizure list deserves scrutiny.
Bail in drug cases
Bail in narcotics cases depends heavily on the quantity alleged and the role attributed to the accused. A person accused of possessing a small amount for personal use stands in a very different position from someone accused of carrying a consignment in the gravest band. Courts also consider the time spent in custody, the progress of the investigation and the chemical examiner's report.
Applications go first to the magistrate or trial court, then to the sessions court, and then to the High Court Division. For someone not yet arrested but named, anticipatory bail may be possible where the accused is named on suspicion or the recovery was from another person. Our bail lawyer page and the article on bail in narcotics cases explain the general approach.
Once bail is granted, it must be protected. The accused must attend every date, keep to any conditions and avoid any further allegation, because the prosecution can apply to cancel bail. Sureties should understand their obligations. Where the accused needs to travel, including abroad, permission should be sought from the court in advance rather than assumed.
How a drug case runs, step by step
- Arrest and seizure. The agency arrests the accused, prepares a seizure list with witnesses and lodges the case at the police station.
- First production. The accused is produced before a magistrate; remand and custody are argued and a first bail application may be made.
- Sampling and chemical test. Samples are sent to the chemical examiner; the report confirms the substance and quantity.
- Investigation and charge sheet. The investigating officer collects statements and files a charge sheet or a final report.
- Transfer to the trial court. The case goes to the magistrate, sessions-level court or tribunal according to the offence.
- Charge framing. The defence can seek discharge if the papers do not disclose the offence or the quantity band alleged.
- Trial. Seizure witnesses, raid members, the chemical examiner and the investigating officer give evidence and are cross-examined.
- Judgment and appeal. Appeals and revisions go to the sessions court or the High Court Division, depending on the trial court.
Risks and common mistakes
Admissions to police or the press
Statements made to police are generally not admissible as confessions, but arrested people are sometimes paraded before cameras or pressed to make statements before a magistrate. A confession recorded under section 164 of the Code can be used at trial, and retracting it later is difficult. The accused should not make any statement without legal advice. A drug case lawyer in Chittagong can attend the first production and advise on the consequences of any statement.
Ignoring the vehicle, phone and money
Seizures often include vehicles, phones, cash and bank accounts, and the 2026 amendment extends forfeiture powers to digital accounts, e-wallets and virtual assets. Owners who were not involved, such as transport companies or relatives who lent a car, should apply promptly for release with proof of ownership and lack of knowledge. Delay can mean the asset sits in a police compound for years and loses most of its value.
Treating a user as a trader
The Act distinguishes between use, possession, carriage and dealing, and the bands differ accordingly. Prosecutions sometimes charge a person found with a small amount under a heavier provision. The defence should test whether the quantity and the circumstances really support the charge, and where the accused is dependent, raise treatment and rehabilitation through licensed centres as part of the bail and sentencing case.
Losing time on the chemical report
Cases can stall for months while the chemical examiner's report is awaited, and the accused may remain in custody throughout. The defence should track when samples were sent, chase the report through the court, and use long delay as a ground for bail. Where the report contradicts the seizure list, that discrepancy is often the strongest point in the case.
Neglecting the long trial
Serious narcotics trials in Chattogram can run for years because raid members are transferred, seizure witnesses cannot be found and laboratory staff must be summoned. Families sometimes lose touch with the case once bail is granted, and a missed date can lead to a warrant and cancellation of bail. Keep in regular contact with your lawyer, check the case status online, and treat every hearing date as mandatory. Our guide on how to check case status online helps.
Foreign nationals, companies and NRB families
Narcotics cases in Chattogram sometimes involve foreign nationals, seafarers, or containers passing through the port. For foreign accused, consular notification, interpretation and communication with family abroad add complexity. For companies, the issue is often a vehicle, warehouse or container used without their knowledge, with the risk of seizure and reputational damage. Our goods seizure and criminal defence teams work together on these matters.
Employers face their own questions when an employee or driver is arrested: whether to suspend, how to cooperate with the investigation without prejudicing the employee's defence, and how to protect company vehicles, premises and records. These decisions should be taken with legal advice, because careless statements or internal reports can become evidence. Our employment team advises on the workplace side.
Non-resident Bangladeshi families in the UK, the Gulf and Singapore often learn of a relative's arrest from abroad. TRW & Co's offices in Dhaka, Singapore, Dubai and London can take instructions locally while our Bangladesh advocates act in the Chattogram courts.
How TRW & Co helps as a drug case lawyer in Chittagong
Our Bangladesh advocates appear in the Chattogram magistrate and sessions courts and before the High Court Division. We do not promise outcomes; we test the evidence.
Arrest and remand response
We attend the first production, oppose remand, raise breaches of arrest safeguards and seek medical examination where needed.
Bail at every level
We file documented bail applications before the trial court, the sessions court and the High Court Division, using custody time, report delays and quantity issues.
Evidence review
We analyse seizure lists, witness details, weights, seals and the chemical examiner's report to find gaps and inconsistencies.
Trial defence
We cross-examine raid members, seizure witnesses and experts, and present defence evidence on possession, planting and procedure.
Asset release
We apply for the return of vehicles, phones, cash and accounts for owners who were not involved, including companies.
Appeals and revisions
We handle appeals against conviction and sentence and revisions in the High Court Division with our Dhaka office.
See all our services on the practice areas page or read about our Chattogram office. Statutes are available on the Laws of Bangladesh website.
Checklist for families and decision-makers
- Which agency made the arrest, and which police station lodged the case?
- What substance and what quantity are alleged, and which band of section 36 does that fall into?
- Who were the seizure witnesses, and were they independent?
- Has the sample gone to the chemical examiner, and when?
- Was the accused produced before a magistrate in time, and were the arrest safeguards followed?
- Were vehicles, phones, cash or accounts seized, and who owns them?
- Is there evidence, such as CCTV or location data, that must be preserved now?
- Is the accused dependent, and is treatment part of the plan?
To speak to a drug case lawyer in Chittagong, contact our Chattogram office at Room 4022, Annex 2, District and Sessions Judge Court Building, Court Hill (Porir Pahar), Kotwali, Chattogram 4000, email info@trw.co or call +880 1779 127165.
Frequently asked questions
01What punishments apply under the Narcotics Control Act 2018?
Section 36 sets punishments in a table by substance and quantity. Small quantities carry terms of imprisonment and a fine; larger bands carry longer terms; and the gravest bands carry life imprisonment or death. For example, carrying more than 200 grams of yaba or more than 25 grams of heroin or cocaine can attract death or life imprisonment. Because the band depends on the weight recorded, the accuracy of weighing and testing is a central defence issue.
02Can I get bail in a yaba case in Chattogram?
Bail is possible but depends on the quantity, the role alleged, time in custody and the progress of the investigation. Small-quantity cases are often bailable at the trial court or sessions court stage. Cases in the gravest bands are much harder, and bail may only be realistic after long custody, investigation delay, or a weakness in the evidence such as a delayed or inconsistent chemical report. Where lower courts refuse, the High Court Division can be approached.
03What did the 2026 amendment change?
Parliament passed the Narcotics Control (Amendment) Bill on 13 July 2026. It creates offences for drug trading through digital platforms and payments, including cryptocurrency, with penalties up to death, and removes the need to recover drugs from the accused in those digital cases. It also provides for dedicated Narcotics Offence Suppression Tribunals in drug-prone areas and gives the Department of Narcotics Control firearms and dog squads. Check the gazetted text and commencement before relying on it.
04What if the drugs were planted on me?
Planting is a recognised risk, and there have been reported prosecutions of officers for planting drugs. The defence should move quickly to preserve CCTV, call records, location data and witness evidence, and test the seizure list, the witnesses and the chain of custody at trial. Separately, remedies exist against those who bring false cases. A drug case lawyer in Chittagong can advise on both the defence and any counter-action once the case ends.
05Which court will try my drug case?
It depends on the offence and quantity. Lesser cases are commonly tried by magistrate courts, while serious quantity cases go to sessions-level courts. The 2026 amendment provides for dedicated narcotics tribunals in drug-prone areas, with ordinary courts continuing to hear cases. In Chattogram, the case will be heard in the metropolitan or district courts depending on the police station. Appeals and revisions go to the sessions court or the High Court Division.
06My vehicle was seized in a drug case. Can I get it back?
Yes, an owner who was not involved can apply to the court for release, with proof of ownership and evidence that they did not know of the offence. Transport companies, employers and relatives who lent a vehicle often find themselves in this position. Apply promptly, because seized vehicles deteriorate quickly. The 2026 amendment also extends seizure and forfeiture powers to devices, accounts, e-wallets and virtual assets used in digital offences.
07Should I make a statement to the police or a magistrate?
Not without legal advice. Statements to police are generally not admissible as confessions, but a confession recorded by a magistrate under section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure can be used at trial and is difficult to retract. The accused has the right to consult a lawyer, and the 2025 amendments strengthened arrest safeguards. Your lawyer can explain the consequences before any statement is made.
Sources and official materials
- Department of Narcotics Control — Enforcement agency under the Narcotics Control Act 2018
- Code of Criminal Procedure 1898 — Arrest, search, bail and trial procedure
- Code of Criminal Procedure (Second Amendment) Ordinance 2025 — Arrest safeguards and remand limits
- Laws of Bangladesh (Ministry of Law) — Narcotics Control Act 2018 and amendments
- Chattogram Metropolitan Police — Metropolitan police stations
- Chattogram District Judiciary — Trial courts in Chattogram
- Supreme Court of Bangladesh — High Court Division bail and appeals
General information only, current as at 2 November 2026. It is not legal advice and does not create an advocate–client relationship. It reflects the law of Bangladesh unless stated otherwise, and the law, court practice and official fees change frequently. Check current official sources and take advice on the facts of your matter.
