Police to Offer Rewards for Information on Looted Firearms: Home Affairs Adviser

Lieutenant General (Retd.) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, Adviser to the Ministry of Home Affairs, has announced that rewards will be offered for information leading to the recovery of over 700 police firearms looted during the July–August mass uprising.

The announcement was made on Sunday, 10 August, at the Secretariat following a meeting of the Core Committee on Law and Order.

The Adviser stated: “We are issuing a circular for the recovery of our lost weapons. A reward will also be announced. We will decide, through an internal committee, how much money can be given to those providing information. Within two to four days, we may officially announce the reward in the media. Anyone providing credible information will receive the prize.”

He confirmed that more than 700 police weapons remain unrecovered.

Following the student–public uprising on 5 August that led to the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government, police reported that a total of 5,750 firearms had been looted from various police stations, outposts, and installations. In addition, 651,609 rounds of ammunition were stolen.

Looted Firearms and Ammunition Overview

Types of Looted Items:

• Rifles (various models)
• SMGs (Small Machine Guns)
• LMGs (Light Machine Guns)
• Pistols
• Shotguns
• Gas guns
• Tear gas launchers
• Tear gas shells
• Tear gas sprays
• Sound grenades
• Ammunition of various calibres

The Home Affairs Adviser reiterated the government’s commitment to recovering the stolen arms and ammunition, emphasising the potential risks posed by their possession in the wrong hands. He urged citizens to cooperate with law enforcement by providing any information they may have, assuring that such cooperation would be rewarded.