An average of 10 murders take place across the country every day, while two occur every three days in Dhaka. Many are planned killings, with police data showing that small arms are used in such crimes.
The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has listed 401 people as “shooters” who use small arms to attack rivals or other targets. Many face between 10 and 40 cases each.
Of them, 118 are in Motijheel Division, 73 in Wari, 61 in Tejgaon, 60 in Mirpur, 36 in Ramna, 24 in Lalbagh, 16 in Gulshan and 13 in Uttara.
DMP Motijheel Division Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Harun Or Rashid told TIMES, “Motijheel is a commercial area, which is why many people carry out terrorist activities here.”
He said a large proportion of them had been arrested and operations were under way to arrest the rest.
The use of small arms is, however, increasing across the country. Criminals now possess various sophisticated weapons, while even teenage gangs have access to deadly firearms.
Law enforcement and intelligence agencies estimate that arms consignments are entering the country through 20 border routes before spreading nationwide.
A total of 1,303 government firearms looted from police custody during the 2024 mass uprising remain unrecovered. Police have also not clearly disclosed how many privately owned firearms deposited at police stations were looted.
Police data show that stocks of foreign-made weapons have increased among criminals, from emerging offenders to organised gangs. Revolvers and pistols are in particularly high demand.
Forest and river pirates possess locally made revolvers, guns, shooter guns and pipe guns.
Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University Department of Criminology and Police Science Professor Muhammad Omar Faruk told TIMES, “Killing people by shooting and spreading panic have created concern among the public.”
Police spokesperson Assistant Inspector General (AIG) Kamarum Munira said, “A special drive has been under way across the country since May. Illegal arms are regularly being recovered and those involved are being detained.”
According to Police Headquarters statistics, 1,442 firearms were recovered nationwide between January and September. Of these, 155 were recovered in the DMP area, where 283 people were arrested in connection with arms and explosives.
During the same period, 2,659 murder cases were filed across the country. Over seven months, 59 people were killed in 123 shooting incidents.
Between January and September, 199 murder cases were filed in the DMP area, including 13 involving shootings.
In the three months from June to August, 424 cases were filed under the Arms Act nationwide, including 159 in August.
DMP Headquarters data show that 40 Arms Act cases were filed at various police stations in the capital during those three months. Police arrested 78 people and recovered 90 firearms.
Former Inspector General of Police Baharul Alam told TIMES, “Illegal arms were always there in the country. Weapons looted from police custody have gone to terrorists, which is why the use of illegal arms has increased.”
Supreme Court lawyer Manzill Murshid said, “Police morale must be raised. Then they will be able to recover the looted weapons.”
He believes police sometimes avoid operations for fear of being attacked.
Former inspectors general of police and crime experts warn that maintaining law and order will become difficult unless illegal arms are recovered. Many fear their use could increase if political tensions intensify.
Use of small arms
Last Saturday, police detained two people with a pistol and ammunition at a checkpoint in Pallabi.
Early the same day, a man travelling in an auto-rickshaw opened fire at singer Asif Akbar’s car in front of Bishal Center in Moghbazar. The gunman has yet to be identified.
On the afternoon of 7 August, BNP leader Alamgir Hossain and another person were injured when gunmen opened fire at a tea stall in Block B of Mirpur Section 11.
On the night of 24 July, Jubo Dal activist Yusuf Bepari was killed and two others were shot when armed men opened indiscriminate fire in Kafrul.
In the first week of June, Abdullah and Hridoy were shot in Pallabi.
On 16 July, driver Ibrahim was shot dead in the Nabodoy Housing area of Mohammadpur.
Outside Dhaka, the situation in Khulna is alarming. On Sunday, motorcycle-borne gunmen shot a Jubo Dal leader and later a private company employee.
During Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ali Hossain Fakir’s visit to the divisional city last Saturday, Jubo Dal leader Ramim Biswas was shot in the morning and grocer Akash Kundu in the evening.
Such shootings by motorcycle-borne gunmen occur almost every week.
So far this year, 72 people have been killed in Khulna, including 38 in the metropolitan area. One in every five killings involved gunfire.
Of the 564 murder cases filed in Chattogram Division over nine months, 41 were in the Chattogram metropolitan area. A large proportion of the deaths involved shootings.
Police data show that smugglers bring illegal arms across the Indian and Myanmar borders in exchange for fixed commissions before handing them over to local dealers.
Cox’s Bazar Superintendent of Police ANM Sajedur Rahman told TIMES, “Many Rohingyas are involved in smuggling arms and drugs. They bring arms through various points using various tricks. Some are caught, but consignments keep coming.”
According to police data, smuggled firearms include submachine guns (SMGs), revolvers, pistols and rifle-type weapons.
These are subsequently used in violence, killings, establishing dominance and extortion.
Illegal arms can now also be ordered online. Law enforcement agencies recently arrested several people involved in selling firearms ordered through online platforms.
Police Headquarters data show that 5,763 firearms were looted from police custody during the change of government on 5 August 2024.
These included more than 100 Chinese rifles, 30 SMGs, three light machine guns (LMGs), more than 200 Chinese 7.62mm pistols, around 40 9mm pistols and around 40 12-bore shotguns.
Of the looted firearms, 4,460 have been recovered.
University of Dhaka Institute of Social Welfare and Research Associate Professor Tawohidul Haque told TIMES, “Looted weapons are in the hands of terrorists. These are creating a challenge in keeping the law and order situation normal.”
