1,427 Firearms Still Missing After Attacks on Police Stations

Staff Correspondent

A total of 1,427 firearms looted from law enforcement during attacks on police stations and prisons before and after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government on August 5 remain unrecovered. Experts have warned that this poses a significant threat to national security.

The missing weapons include 28 rifles from prisons and 1,399 firearms from the police. Although authorities have recovered many stolen weapons, a substantial number remain at large.

The attacks, which involved arson, vandalism, and looting, caused severe disruption to police operations across the country. In the immediate aftermath, Ansar members were deployed to secure police stations. Later, as the military stepped in, police operations gradually resumed.

Following the interim government’s assumption of power on August 8, a deadline was issued for returning stolen weapons. After the deadline expired, the police launched recovery operations, which are still ongoing.

Assistant Inspector General (AIG) of Police Inamul Haque Sagar reported that 114 police stations were affected, with 58 set on fire and 56 vandalized. Of the 5,750 weapons looted from police custody, 4,351 have been recovered, leaving 1,399 still missing.

In a separate incident, 85 Chinese rifles were stolen during an attack on Narsingdi District Jail on July 19. According to Dhaka Division Deputy Inspector General of Prisons Md. Jahangir Kabir, 57 of these rifles have been recovered, with efforts underway to locate the remaining ones.

Law enforcement officials expressed concern that the missing firearms could end up in the hands of criminals or terrorists, further destabilizing the country’s security. Crime rates, including murder, robbery, theft, and mugging, have surged in recent months, particularly in Dhaka, where nighttime muggings have become increasingly common.

The missing weapons include various rifles, submachine guns (SMGs), light machine guns (LMGs), pistols, shotguns, gas guns, tear gas launchers, grenades, and ammunition. Police fear that the unrecovered weapons could exacerbate the growing wave of violent crimes across the country.

Authorities continue operations to recover the missing arms and ammunition, though concerns over public safety remain high.