The High Court on Monday asked the government to explain as to why alcohol, categorized as drug under the Narcotics Control Act 2018 and the subsequent schedule, should not be declared illegal and unconstitutional.
The bench of Justice Mamnoon Rahman and Justice Khandaker Diliruzzaman issued the rule after hearing a petition.
Secretaries to the ministries of law, home, finance and the Director of Department of Narcotics Control have been made respondents to the rule which is returnable in four weeks.
Advocate Ahsanul Karim stood for the petitioner while Deputy Attorney General Amit Das Gupta represented the state.
Mohammad Faruk, managing director of RJ Tower Hotel and Resort Limited in Ashuganj of Brahmanbaria, filed the petition with the High Court seeking directives to exclude alcohol from the drug category under Narcotics Control Act, said Ahsanul Karim.
The petitioner pointed out that importers of alcohol, which is allowed as an import item, face problem since it has been categorized as a drug like yaba and crystal meth, which are banned from import or export.
