Home Adviser announces bounty for recovery of looted firearms
NN ONLINE:
Home Adviser Lieutenant General (Retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury has announced bounty for providing information leading to the recovery of the looted firearms after August 5 last year aimed at recovering all the looted firearms prior to the 13th parliamentary election slated for February next.
“We’re announcing Tk 5 lakh for information to help recovery of one LMG and Tk 1.5 lakh for one SMG,” he said.
He made the announcement today after coming out of the core committee meeting on law and order at the Home Ministry in Bangladesh Secretariat here.
The Home Adviser also said that one will get Tk 50,000 for helping recover one pistol and Tk 50,000 for one shotgun. Tk 500 will be given to help recover one looted bullet, he added.
According to the information of the Police Headquarters, as many as 5,750 firearms and 651,609 rounds of ammunition were looted from various police stations, outposts and other installations after the fall of Awami League government in the July Mass Uprising.
The seized arms, ammunition included rifles, submachine guns (SMGs), light machine guns (LMGs), pistols, shotguns, gas guns, tear gas launchers, tear gas shells, tear gas sprays, sound grenades and bullets.
A nationwide joint operation to recover the looted firearms and ammunition began on September 4 last year.
The Home Adviser earlier said that approximately 700 firearms are still missing.
Replying to a query, the Home Adviser said they will try their best to recover all the looted firearms prior to the upcoming national election. He reiterated that the next election will be free, fair, peaceful and festive with the help of all.
“We can hold a fair and peaceful election with the help of all,” he said.
Jahangir said the nation expects a festive election. “We’re trying our best to hold the next election in a festive manner,” he said.
The Home Adviser said that when the people and the political parties will be election-oriented none can stop holding the election.
About the recruitment in the police force, he said that it has done in a fair manner and without any trade over the recruitment.
He called upon the journalists to report if any corruption takes place in recruiting members in the police force.
But, he requested to write the truth as it is not possible to regain the lost glory of a person after publishing a rejoinder against false news.
The Home Adviser earlier said that the interim government has so far recruited 15,851 police personnel from constables to Sub Inspectors (SIs) after coming to power.
The government has also recruited 4469 soldiers at Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and 5551 sepoys in Bangladesh Ansar and VDP in the last one year, he said.
The newly recruited police and Ansar personnel will play significant role in the upcoming elections, he said.