Criminals target law enforcers for looting arms in SW region
Police are yet to recover the sub machine gun (SMG) and 30 of its bullets that were looted on Thursday midnight from Naik Abul Bashar of APBN at Baniakhali Bazar under Dumuria upazila of Khulna district.
With this, the number of arms looted in last 20 years from different places of south-western region now stands at 128 but only seven of the looted arms could be recovered, according to police.
At least eight law enforcers lost their lives while on duty as they tried to resist the looters -- outlaws, pirates and bandits.
The law enforcers at their camps and outposts and while on duty in roads, trains, motorised launches and key installations became easy victim as they were not in a position to fire a single shot from their arms without prior permission of higher authorities.
Cases filed against looting of arms and killing of law enforcers are yet to be disposed of due to lack of evidence.
According to official records, outlaws looted seven rifles in 1990 from railway police in a moving train at Ansarbaria under Kotchandpur upazila of Jhenidah district.
They looted a rifle from Halsa station in 1991 and two rifles from Bablatala of Jessore town in 1992.
In 1994, outlaws looted a rifle killing an on-duty policeman at Charavita Bazar under Jessore Kotwali thana and a rifle from railway police in a moving train at Sundarpur of Jhenidah district.
Outlaws looted a rifle from police at Dobra Krishi Bank of Jessore town, three SBL guns and a rifle from Hamid Arms & Company in Jessore town and four rifles after killing a railway policeman of Darshana in Chuadanga district in 1995.
They looted seven rifles from Rarhuli police camp under Paikgachha police station of Khulna district in 1996 and those were later recovered, according to police.
In 1997, outlaws looted a revolver from a policeman at Bagharpara upazila of Jessore district and five rifles from Ansars at Rupsha Sea Food under Rupsha upazila of the same district.
They also looted in 1998 three rifles from Ansars at a Koira upazila bound passenger launch, four rifles, and six guns from the store room of Khulna Cable Factory, a sub machine gun and seven rifles from Ansars in a moving train at Barobazar under Kaliganj upazila of Jhenaidah after killing a commander of Ansar department, two rifles, 12 guns, five revolvers and five pistols from the malkhana (store room) of Khulna Metropolitan Police, a DBBL gun from a house at Bagmara of Khulna city and four rifles from Bashkhali of Rupsha upazila the same year.
Outlaws looted 12 rifles from Ansars on duty at Akij Jute Mills of Jessore in 1999, a rifle from Kushtia Sonali Bank in 2000, a DBL gun from a shop at Rupsha upazila in 2001, a shotgun from policeman at Khulna Customghat in 2002, a rifle from a security guard at Keshabpur Janata Bank of Jessore, and a pistol, killing a police sub inspector in Jhenidah town in the same year.
In 2002, outlaws looted a DBL gun from a house in Digholia upazila of Khulna district and another DBL gun from a house in Kalia upazila of Narail.
They looted two guns from security guards at Kushtia Textile Mills, a shotgun killing two policemen at Sheikhpara of Khulna city and 19 rifles from Ansars on duty at Daulatpur Jute Mills at Khalispur, one SLR and a rifle killing two policemen in Fakirhat upazila of Bagerhat and a shutter gun from a policeman in Khulna city in 2003.
Police camps were set up in different districts of south-western region to contain rise of criminal activities by outlaws but law enforcers posted at these camps never felt secure due to lack of necessary logistic support and fear for attacks by outlaws.
Although success was claimed in crushing a large number of outlaws by Rapid Action Battalion and police since 2002, no significant achievement could be made in recovery of looted arms and ammunition despite special operations such as Operation Clean Heart and Operation Spider Web.
When contacted, Additional Police Superintendent (Crime) Jahangir Hossain said, "We have arrested five people in connection with looting of SMG and 30 bullets from Naik Abul Basar of APBN on Wednesday midnight. Attempts are on to recover the looted arms."
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