105 key transit routes identified across 24 ‘drug-prone’ districts

The Department of Narcotics Control (DNC) has identified 24 districts across Bangladesh as the country's most drug-prone regions, according to its 2025 annual report. 
The flagged districts span multiple divisions, comprising Dhaka, Narayanganj, Narsingdi, Gazipur, Mymensingh, Chattogram, Cumilla, Sylhet, Moulvibazar, Brahmanbaria, Cox's Bazar, Rajshahi, Pabna, Bogura, Chapainawabganj, Joypurhat, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Rangpur, Dinajpur, Khulna, Satkhira, Jashore, and Chuadanga. 
Out of these 24 districts, the DNC has mapped out 105 specific areas across 18 districts that serve as the primary transit routes for international drug trafficking.
The 105 flashpoints
The DNC report details the specific border areas, land ports, and sub-districts driving the influx across the country. In the western and south-western belts, the key routes include Kolaroa, Debhata, Bhomra, Kakdanga, and Palashpur in Satkhira, alongside Benapole, Putkhali, Chougacha, Narayanpur, and Shasha in Jashore. Further along the border, Karpasdanga, Darshana, and Jibannagar in Chuadanga, as well as Dariapur and Buripota in Meherpur, serve as active corridors.
In the northern and northwestern regions, the trafficking routes run through Monigram, Charghat, Sardah, Yousufpur, Kajla, Belpukuria, Haripur, Godagari, Bagha, and Sadar in Rajshahi. The neighboring district of Chapainawabganj sees high activity through Volahat, Shahbajpur, Binodpur, the Sonamosjid Land Port, and Kansat. Joypurhat's Panchbibi is explicitly noted as a main transit point, while Dinajpur features a dense network of routes through Ghoraghat, Fulbari, Birampur, Hili, Hakimpur, Kamalpur, Birol, Ashkarpur, Khanpur, Dainur, Maligram, and Bantara.
To the east and northeast, Jakiganj in Sylhet and Chunarughat and Madhabpur in the wider region are heavily exposed. Brahmanbaria’s flashpoints comprise Karimpur, Kasba, Akhaura, Singairbil, Paharpur, and Bijoynagar, while Cumilla is marked by activity in Jagannath Dighi, Chouddagram, Golapsha, Kalikapur, Jagannathpur, Rajapur, Burichang, Brahmanpara, and Bibirbazar. In Feni, the primary corridors are Chhagalnaiya, Fulgazi, and Parshuram.
Further north, Kurigram is vulnerable through Bhurungamari, Roumari, Nageshwari, Bashjani, Balarhat, Balabari, Kuti Chandrakhana, Pathardubi, and Nakharganj, while Lalmonirhat is monitored via Sadar, Aditmari, Kaliganj, Patgram, and Burimari. 
The frontier areas of Sherpur, Mymensingh, and Netrokona are exposed through Jhenaigati, Nalitabari, Haluaghat, Dhobaura, Durgapur, and Kalmakanda.
Finally, the coastal southeastern frontier of Cox's Bazar contains an extensive network including Jaliapara, St Martin's Island, Shah Porir Dwip in Teknaf, Sabrang, Southpara, Dhundhumia, Jodipara, South Hnhila, Ledapara, Chowdhurypara, Nayapara, Hoaikyong, Tombru, Ukhiya, Katakhali, Balukhali, Ghumdhum, and Katapahar.
Geopolitics of the influx: Cross-border trafficking networks
The DNC report traces the flow of specific narcotics back to precise networks operating out of India and Myanmar, classifying the contraband by drug type and geographical origin.
Heroin and cannabis
Heroin is predominantly smuggled into Bangladesh through the border belts of Rajshahi and Chapainawabganj, arriving from the Murshidabad district of West Bengal, India. 
Meanwhile, cannabis enters via major border corridors including Brahmanbaria, Cumilla, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Dinajpur, Naogaon, Mymensingh, Sherpur, Netrokona, Jamalpur, Sylhet, Habiganj, Moulvibazar, and Sunamganj. 
The primary Indian source hubs identified for cannabis are Dhubri, Karimganj, and South Salmara-Mankachar in Assam; Cooch Behar and South Dinajpur in West Bengal; and the Agartala district of Tripura.
Pharmaceutical and injectable narcotics
The codeine-based preparation Phensedyl remains a major cross-border contraband item, smuggled into Jashore, Kushtia, Satkhira, Chuadanga, Meherpur, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Dinajpur, Thakurgaon, Mymensingh, Chapainawabganj, Naogaon, Rajshahi, and Joypurhat. The bulk of this supply originates from Dhubri and South Salmara-Mankachar in Assam, alongside Uttar 24 Parganas, Cooch Behar, and South Dinajpur in West Bengal.
Injectable drugs enter through Dinajpur, Joypurhat, Naogaon, Jashore, Kushtia, Chuadanga, and Meherpur, originating primarily from Murshidabad, Uttar 24 Parganas, and South Dinajpur in West Bengal. Similarly, the prescription stimulant Tapentadol is smuggled into Kushtia, Chuadanga, Meherpur, Lalmonirhat, and Dinajpur from India's South Dinajpur and Nadia districts.
Amphetamine-Type Stimulants (yaba and ICE)
The report classifies Amphetamine-Type Stimulants (ATS) – principally yaba pills and Crystal Meth (ICE) – as the most dangerous narcotics entering the country. These synthetics are trafficked heavily from neighboring Myanmar into Cox's Bazar. 
The primary supply pipeline originates from Maungdaw, Naikhongdiya, ShiterGola, Sittwe, and Ale Than Kyaw within Myanmar’s Rakhine State. From there, they are smuggled across the marine borders of Maheshkhali, Monakhali, Shah Porir Dwip, and Saint Martin's Island, occasionally penetrating the coastal zones of Patuakhali, Barguna, and Roumari Upazila in Kurigram.