Masterminds of illegal firearm trade must be caught
The arrest of members of a transnational arms trading gang from the capital’s Darus Salam area is not big news, it is significant enough that the gang of criminals has been found. The lynchpin of the group is Akul Hossain, general secretary of Bangladesh Chhatra League’s Sharsha upazila unit and a former vice president of the Jashore district unit. The gang has sold over 200 firearms brought in from India. They bought each of the firearms for Tk 28,000 to Tk 50,000 and sell these at Tk 80,000-Tk 90,000.
According to Prothom Alo, the arrested are Illias Hossain, Abul Azim, Faruk Hossain and Fazlur Rahman. The law enforcers seized eight foreign pistols, 16 magazines, eight rounds of bullets and a car in their possession. Akul Hossain was arrested with firearms earlier in 2019. He was freed on bail and got involved with the crime again.
Detective Branch of Gulshan found the gang while trying to unearth the source of arms used in an incident of shooting a contractor in Bhasantek area in the capital. Intelligence sources said that large consignment of arms and drugs enters through Teknaf and Ukhiya border in Cox’s Bazar. Illegal arms also sneak in through Jashore’s Chowgacha, Jhikargacha, Sharsha, Darshana, Shahzadpur, Hijla, Andulia, Mandartola, Goga, Kaeba, Shikarpur, Doulatpur and Dinajpur’s Hili border.
Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) last year recovered 77 pistols, eight one shooter guns, 11 air guns, three pipe guns, one double barrel gun, eight one shooter pistols, 76 magazines, 372 rounds of bullets and one AK-47 rifle. But the arms recovered from the Akul-gang and sold by them prove that the number of arms seized is much less than the illegal arms that actually enter the country.
The Akul incident has given rise to many questions. How could he be freed on bail after being arrested with arms in 2019? Who are his political patrons? Who are buying arms from them? While the border area remains under strict surveillance, and the Indian border security forces shoot anyone involved with smuggling, how could these arms be smuggled into the country?
Searching for answers to these questions would unearth many truths. BGB or Coast Guard members can become complacent by making lists of illegal arms recovered from the border areas, but that will not stop the smuggling of illegal arms. The persons behind the Akul-gang need to be caught in order to stop the illegal arms smuggling. It is surprising that Chhatra League did not take any action against Akul even after he was detained with arms.
Are they politically sheltering this leader of the illegal arms trading gang? The leaders of the ruling party always see conspiracy and sabotage everywhere. It’s high time they pay attention to themselves.