222 rocket shells recovered in Habiganj

Four more machine guns, eight rounds of bullets of rocket launcher have been recovered on Wednesday

Picture-1 dt 03-6-2014

A total of 222 pieces of 40m rocket shells, 248 rocket launcher charges and other warheads have been recovered from the bordering Satchhari forest of Chunarughat upazila in Habiganj.

The elite force RAB media wing Director Habibur Rahman has made the disclosure at a press briefing on Wednesday.

He said: “The arms are similar to those of 10-truck in Chittagong. But, investigation is underway and cannot be tell anything in this regard before investigation.

Two cases will be filed in this regard. One is under arms and another is under explosive act. However, nobody has been arrested in this regard so far,” he added.

“Driving to find out more arms at the forest and its surrounding areas is underway.”

After the press briefing, Rab DG Muklesur Rahman told the media that two cases –one is explosion and another is arms recovery–will be filed in this connection.

On Wednesday, four more machine guns, eight rounds of bullets of rocket launcher have been recovered from the Satchhari forest.

Rab 9 Srimangal Camp In-charge Sana Shaminur Rahman has told the Dhaka Tribune.

On Tuesday, RAB media wing Director Habibur Rahman has told the Dhaka Tribune that they have recovered 184 pieces of 40m rocket shells, 153 rocket launcher charges and other warheads.

“The bunkers are located 10-15 feet under the Satchhari forest ground,” the RAB official said.

A dog squad and a bomb disposal team of RAB jointly conducted the operation. The stash was left unattended inside the bunker.

The hills under which the bunkers were located, were dwelled by several families. However, after going there, the RAB members found only the female members and the children.

Once upon a time the Satchhari forest was known as a den of the All Tripura Tiger Forces (ATTF). However, the rebel group does not have much activity in the area at present.

On June 27, 2003, law enforcers recovered a stash of bullets from a truck in the northern district of Bogra which was believed to be trafficked by Asish Burma, nephew of Jogesh Burman, an ex-headman of the Satchhari Tripura Palli. Asish has been absconding since then.

At that time, several Indian newspapers reported that the ATTF den was also being used by the United Liberation Front of Asam (Ulfa) for storing trafficked arms.

ATTF chief Ranjit Debbarma, who had close ties with Ulfa chief Paresh Barua, is now in Tripura jail.

Paresh was given death sentence in the Chittagong 10-trucks arms haul case and is believed to have taken refuge in China now.

Detectives believe that Ulfa and ATTF used to bring arms and ammo through Chittagong and Cox’s Bazar and hide those in their Satchhari den.

Source: Dhaka Tribune