Amanur Aman, Kushtia, back from border areas
Smuggling and illegal trade of different types of local and foreign-made firearms in 2010 have almost doubled those in the previous year in the country's south-western region, the law enforcement agencies said.
The police and Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) teams recovered 128 smuggled firearms in 2010, compared to 65 in 2009. They also arrested 68 suspected arms smugglers last year while the number was 45 in 2009.
The entire 275 kilometres border in Khulna division is 'sensitive', claimed a Chuadanga police official, seeking anonymity, as the smuggling had seen a significant rise last year.
According to police sources, arms smugglers are particularly active in at least 29 pockets in six bordering districts -- four in Kushtia, five in Jhenaidah, four in Chuadanga, three in Meherpur, six in Satkhira and seven in Jessore.
Last year 14 smuggled firearms were recovered in Kushtia, 24 in Chuadanga, 16 in Jhenaidah, 35 in Meherpur, 16 in Jessore, 13 in Satkhira and 10 in Khulna.
A team of Rab-6 recovered 13 firearms in Meherpur and arrested five suspected arms traders on October 19 last year.
“We have concrete information about the arms smuggling network and its buyers,” Sheikh Jahidul Islam, assistant superintendent of police and camp in-charge of Rab-6, told The Daily Star.
Even some political activists are on the list of illegal arms smugglers, he added.
A source in Chuadanga police said Nasirpara and Kacharipara villages of Jalanghi thana in Murshidabad district under West Bengal are among the key places of clandestine arms factories, which are within three kilometres of Meherpur and Chuadanga borders.
Firearms produced at those factories operated by criminal gang are being smuggled into Bangladesh, added the source.
Besides, eight-shooter gun, sawn-off rifle, sub-machine gun, light machine gun and pistol are smuggled into. These are mostly made in China, USA and Czech Republic.
Indian-made arms like pipe gun, one-shooter gun, musket rifle and revolver are also being smuggled. The demand for these firearms is particularly high due to its cheap price and availability, sources said.
During a recent visit to different border points in Meherpur, Chuadanga and Kushtia, this correspondent had an idea about the prices of these firearms. A sub-machine gun sells for Tk 2 lakh to Tk 3.5 lakh, light machine gun for Tk 1.5 lakh to Tk 1.8 lakh and a foreign-made pistol costs Tk 80,000 to Tk 1.5 lakh.
however, sell between Tk 25,000 and Tk 40,000.
To make arms smuggling safe, gangs usually use consignments of fruits, eggs, rice, vegetables and other items. It is alleged that border guards of India and Bangladesh often ignore routine checks because of underhand dealings.
Sources said smugglers from both the countries maintain close ties. They are well-organised and also have 'good relations' with security forces.
The weapons are supplied to other parts of the country as per the demand of the buyers, said a smuggler adding, a good number of firearms also reach outlawed party cadres and gangs.
Different types of arms are being smuggled daily into Bangladesh through its south-western borders, said an illegal arms trader.
Chuadanga police and Rab sources said now only eight to twelve Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) men guard the south-west Border Outposts (BoP), which was 18 to 25 earlier.
Lt Col Sultan Ahmed, commanding officer of 35 Rifles Battalion, said the joint arms recovery drive is yet to start since it was stopped after the BDR mutiny in February, 2009.
"After the BDR mutiny, no arms recovery drive was carried out in the south-western bordering areas due to manpower shortage till July, 2010. The shortage is being addressed but the drive is yet to start," he added.
“We often arrest some of them and recover firearms, but it is not enough,” Md Nazrul Islam, Chuadanga superintendent of police, told The Daily Star at his office recently adding, police are on the hunt for the gunrunners.
The law enforcement agencies in the region are 'aggressive' and 'pro-active', said Sheikh Hemayat Hossain, deputy inspector general of Khulna police.
“There is no chance the anti-social group will get away,” insisted the official.
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