Concerns rise over looted police weapons in Rajshahi

Following the fall of the Awami League government on August 5, Rajshahi faced widespread unrest. Miscreants attacked, vandalised, and looted police stations and outposts, setting many on fire.

In these violent incidents, 207 weapons and over 11,000 rounds of ammunition were stolen. While 157 of the weapons have been recovered, 50 remain missing, and less than half of the ammunition has been found. This creates a heightened security risk for the region.

During the unrest, 16 police stations, 11 outposts, and several police vehicles were destroyed across Rajshahi Division between August 3 and 5. The violence resulted in the deaths of 15 police officers, all from the Enayetpur police station in Sirajganj, and injured 188 others.

In addition to the weapons and ammunition, 18 police pickups, a microbus, two private cars, three Lagunas, and 174 motorcycles were also vandalised and set ablaze.

According to the Rajshahi Range DIG's office, of the 207 looted weapons, 157 have been recovered, but 50 are still unaccounted for. Additionally, of the 16,822 rounds of ammunition taken, only 5,795 have been returned, leaving 11,027 rounds still missing. This situation has led to increased security concerns among Rajshahi residents.

In response, the administration has mandated that all looted weapons and ammunition be returned to the police stations by September 3.

Starting Wednesday, a joint operation will be launched in Rajshahi, as well as nationwide, to recover illegal weapons. The operation will be conducted with strict measures against any found arms and ammunition.

Ahmad Safi Uddin, Rajshahi district president of Citizens for Good Governance (Sujan), emphasised the danger of civilian possession of police weapons and stressed the urgency of retrieving them. He suggested that announcing rewards and engaging the public could expedite the recovery process.

Muhammad Saiful Islam, Additional DIG (Operations) of Rajshahi Range, highlighted the importance of public cooperation to combat opportunistic individuals looking to exploit the situation.

He reiterated that while the police are fully operational, they need community support to effectively address the crisis and prevent further anarchy. Strict actions will be enforced during the upcoming operation to ensure all illegal arms and ammunition are recovered.

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