Missing firearms pose serious threats

We are deeply alarmed by the slow progress of the joint operation being carried out by the police and other forces to recover the firearms that were looted during and after the fall of the previous Awami League government. Although a month and a half have passed since the drive began, only 318 arms have been recovered, while 1,748 remain unaccounted for. This is a serious cause for concern because if these missing firearms end up in the wrong hands, they could pose a significant threat to our national security.

After the fall of the AL regime, mobs attacked and vandalised hundreds of police stations and set many facilities on fire, resulting in the deaths of at least 44 officers. During the chaos, 5,829 firearms and 606,742 bullets were looted from police stations across the country. After taking charge, the interim government ordered people to return the weapons and suspended the arms licenses issued to civilians during the AL rule. According to data from Police Headquarters, as of September 3, people submitted 13,349 firearms with suspended licenses, while only 3,763 of the looted firearms were returned or recovered. When the joint drive began on September 4, we hoped that the rest of the firearms would soon be retrieved. Sadly, that did not happen, reportedly due to intelligence gaps within our police forces.

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Stolen firearms could pose a threat to national security

In late July and August, at least 70 militants reportedly escaped from 17 jails across the country, while many previously convicted criminals were also recently released. Moreover, after the fall of the AL, many of its leaders and supporters left the country or went into hiding, many of whom had licensed arms. Therefore, there is a high chance that many of these firearms may now be in the hands of militants or convicted criminals—or may have already been smuggled out of the country. Reportedly, some of these arms were even used by miscreants at the capital's Geneva Camp recently, which makes the situation all the more worrying.

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Bring back prisoners on the loose

Unaccounted weapons are a major threat to our national security and can deteriorate the law and order situation at any time, as experts believe. Therefore, we urge the police and all other forces to immediately address the intelligence gaps and expedite their operation to recover the missing arms and ammunition. They should engage the public in their efforts through media campaigns and could even offer rewards for information that could lead to recoveries. Additionally, they should create a separate database of legal and looted firearms to gain a clear picture of the situation, and make sure to continuously updated it.