In the last 15 years, during the tenure of the Awami League (AL) government, a total of 17,264 firearms licences were issued.
Many of these firearms were seen used by the AL party leaders against unarmed students and people during the anti-discrimination movement in July and August.
A high official at the Police Headquarters (PHQ) told this to The Daily Star last night.
After the interim government was formed on August 8, following the ouster of Sheikh Hasina on August 5, a notification was issued from the home ministry to suspend licences of firearms issued to civilians between January 6, 2009, and August 5, 2024, during the AL regime.
The government then asked the civilians to deposit the firearms by September 3, but only 13,349 firearms were deposited, according to PHQ sources.
The government on September 4 started a joint drive conducted by the armed forces, border guards, coast guards, police, Rab, and Ansar to recover the 3,915 remaining firearms.
Meanwhile, the ministry on Monday formed a committee to return the firearms to civilians, which were deposited last September.
The committee, chaired by the District Magistrate, includes two members and a member secretary.
The district superintendent of police (SP) and a deputy director of National Security Intelligence (NSI) will act as members of the committee, while the additional district magistrate will be the member secretary, said the notification signed by Israt Jahan, deputy secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs’ Public Security Division.
Based on a notification from the Public Security Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs dated August 25, the committee will verify and decide on applications for the return of firearms acquired for personal security that have been submitted to the police stations by September 3, the notification reads.
However, firearms issued for special purposes that may worsen the law and order situation will not be considered for return, it added.
Additionally, individuals with ongoing criminal cases or those already convicted of criminal offences will also not be eligible for the return of their firearms, it also said.
The district committee will submit a report to the ministry about the decision taken regarding the return of the firearms, it said.
Md Amirul Kyser, deputy commissioner and district magistrate of the Cumilla, yesterday said, “We have yet to receive the ministry order. We will act as per the directives.”
Asked about receiving any request to return firearms, he said, “They did not receive any application in the district to date.”
Mohammed Saiful Islam, deputy commissioner and district magistrate of Khulna, said he received the ministry order and working accordingly.
He, however, did not receive any request to return the firearms to date.
Daily Star
