Law enforcement authorities in the capital have identified 401 armed individuals across eight divisions of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP). Figures released by the police reveal a severe concentration of illicit arms in specific zones, with the Motijheel division topping the list at 118 identified firearms holders. The Wari division recorded the second-highest tally with 73, followed closely by Tejgaon with 61 and Mirpur with 60.
The remaining distribution across the metropolitan area includes 36 armed individuals identified in Ramna, 24 in Lalbagh, 16 in Gulshan, and 13 in Uttara.
Police reports indicate a troubling surge in shootings and violent crimes involving illegal firearms across the country. Cross-border smuggling remains a significant contributor to the problem, with law enforcement tracking illicit arms flowing into Bangladesh through at least 20 strategic border routes.
Adding to the security challenge is the large volume of looted official weaponry still unaccounted for following political turmoil. During the mass uprising in August 2024, a total of 5,763 firearms were looted from police custody. Whilst security forces have successfully recovered 4,460 of these weapons, 1,303 arms remain missing. Police authorities have not released a division-by-division breakdown of where these missing state arms might currently be located.
In response to rising violence, security agencies have intensified nationwide recovery efforts. Between January and September 2026, joint forces retrieved 1,442 illegal firearms across Bangladesh. Despite these efforts, public safety remains severely compromised; a staggering 2,659 murder cases were registered nationwide during the same nine-month span.
A special joint drive launched in May 2026 to systematically disarm criminal networks has yielded some progress, yet persistent shootings and targeted killings continue to spark widespread anxiety among residents and business owners throughout the capital.
