More than 1,330 firearms and 257,189 rounds of ammunition looted during the July mass uprising remain unaccounted for, raising serious concerns about public safety and the risk of election-related violence, according to official figures. The missing weapons were taken from several police stations and from Ganabhaban, and authorities say these arms are now in the hands of criminals, posing a direct threat to citizens.
Police headquarters sources say that during the unrest, a total of 5,753 firearms were looted from police stations, outposts, and other law enforcement facilities across the country. Among these were 32 advanced weapons belonging to the Special Security Force (SSF), which were taken from Ganabhaban and the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban. The majority of the 5,753 looted weapons have since been recovered, and the number of missing arms currently stands at around 1,300.
On 10 August last year, Home Adviser Jahangir Alam Chowdhury announced cash rewards for information leading to the recovery of the stolen arms. The reward includes Tk5 lakh for a light machine gun (LMG), Tk1.5 lakh for a sub-machine gun (SMG), Tk1 lakh for a China rifle, and Tk50,000 for pistols and shotguns. Informants are also offered Tk500 for each round of ammunition recovered. At the time of the announcement, police records showed that 1,375 firearms and 257,849 rounds of ammunition had gone missing.
Despite these incentives, recovery efforts have shown limited success. From the time the rewards were announced until November, only 35 firearms and 190 rounds of ammunition were recovered. Authorities have warned that if these weapons remain unrecovered, they could be used for violence ahead of the next national election. Although law enforcement agencies say they have intensified operations, the results so far remain modest.
In December, police recovered 159 firearms. Of these, 41 were found in the Chattogram division, 24 in Rajshahi, 21 in Khulna, and 16 by the Dhaka Metropolitan Police. During the same month, 34 rounds of ammunition were also recovered. In the first week of January, six more firearms were seized, though police headquarters said they could not yet confirm whether these had been looted from police stockpiles.
Law enforcement agencies insist that regular operations are continuing to recover the missing arms and ammunition.
AHM Shahadat Hossain, assistant inspector general (Media and PR) at police headquarters, told TIMES of Bangladesh that the police are making their utmost efforts to recover the looted weapons and ammunition, and that greater cooperation from the public is needed.
Writ filed seeking election suspension
Amid growing security concerns, a writ petition was filed at the High Court on Wednesday seeking the suspension of the upcoming national election until all looted weapons are recovered.
Supreme Court lawyer Md Mahmudul Hasan filed the petition.
The respondents include Cabinet Secretary, Secretaries of Home Ministry and Law Ministry, Election Commission Secretary, Inspector General of Police (IGP), and Director General of RAB.
The petition states that, according to media reports, 5,750 firearms and 651,609 rounds of ammunition were looted from police stations and law enforcement offices during the 2024 mass uprising.
It argues that despite the government announcing rewards, a significant portion of these weapons remains unrecovered.
The writ claims that these illegal weapons are now in the hands of criminals, placing both voters and candidates in extreme danger ahead of the election.
It cites the killing of Sharif Osman Hadi, a prospective parliamentary candidate in Dhaka-8, who was shot dead by criminals, as proof of the risks posed by unrecovered arms.
The petition also refers to a statement by Election Commissioner Abul Fazal Md Sanaullah, who said that the recovery of illegal weapons before the election is crucial.
Lawyer Md Mahmudul Hasan said in the petition that although the government has arranged gunmen for some parliamentary candidates, it has failed to take any effective steps to ensure the safety of ordinary voters.
He argued that holding an election without recovering the looted weapons would amount to a violation of Article 32 of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to life.
The writ seeks a directive to suspend the upcoming national election until all looted firearms and ammunition are recovered and a safe electoral environment is ensured.
