All-party affair
Activists of all major political parties are involved in smuggling and illegal trade of chemicals and explosive substances, according to an intelligence report.
Prepared by the National Security Intelligence (NSI), the report contains a list of 903 people involved in the crimes. Of them, 371 are linked with the BNP, 220 with the Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir, 91 with the ruling Awami League and its associate bodies, and one with the Jatiya Party.
In the summary of the report, the agency mentioned the names of eight AL men, who live in bordering districts of Kushtia, Feni, Satkhira and Cox's Bazar, and hold positions in local units of the AL, its youth front Jubo League and pro-AL student body Bangladesh Chhatra League.
The Daily Star has obtained a copy of the summary report that recommended immediate arrest and punishment of the culprits involved in the criminal activities.
The 54-page report, submitted to the Prime Minister's Office recently, was prepared in the wake of crude bomb and arson attacks since the BNP-led 20-party alliance launched a non-stop blockade on January 6.
However, almost all deadly attacks were carried out with petrol bombs, not bombs made of the explosive substances smuggled into the country.
The smuggled substances include powergel, gunpowder, TNT (Trinitrotoluene), sulfur dioxide, phosphorus, ammonium nitrate, DDT, mercury, lead nitrate, lead oxide, lead acid, potassium sulphate and carbide.
Crude bombs, used in attacks on political programmes and acts of violence, are made using these types of substances, says the report.
On condition of anonymity, an explosives expert of the Detective Branch of police said most of these materials are used in mills and factories but can be used to make crude bombs and even powerful IEDs (improvised explosive device).
The chemicals and explosive substances are mostly smuggled into the country from India, as the amount of these materials brought through legal channels is much less than the demand.
Any individual or organisation has to take prior permission from the commerce ministry to import these, he said. The intelligence report noted that explosive substances are smuggled into the country through bordering districts, including Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj, Jessore, Kushtia, Satkhira, Meherpur, Habiganj, Comilla, Brahmanbaria, Chuadanga and Mymensingh.
A section of people with political links uses smugglers in the bordering areas to bring in chemicals and explosive substances, said sources in several bordering districts.
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