During the riots that took place in July 2024, a large quantity of firearms and ammunition were looted from police stations and armories. Even after a year and a half, most of those weapons have still not been recovered. More than one thousand firearms and over two hundred thousand rounds of ammunition have effectively vanished. Yet during this long period, the Yunus government and its law-enforcement agencies have taken virtually no effective steps to recover this massive cache of deadly weapons.
A government that came to power by toppling an elected administration with the financial backing of foreign patrons, the active participation of extremist groups, and direct support from the military has never treated public safety or law and order as a priority, and it still does not. Thousands of weapons are now in the hands of terrorists, but Yunus and his home affairs adviser appear completely unconcerned.
Over the past eighteen months, there have been repeated theatrical displays in the name of “special operations.” Rewards of up to five million taka were announced for information leading to the recovery of looted weapons. In reality, nothing meaningful has been achieved. The reason is obvious. How can a government that itself came to power illegally, with the active support of extremist and terrorist groups, recover weapons from those very same groups?
Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies President, retired Major General A N M Muniruzzaman, has stated that these weapons should have been fully recovered within a year and a half, but the interim government and law-enforcement agencies have failed to do so. Is this failure merely incompetence, or deliberate negligence? Can a government that rose to power through bloodshed like the July riots realistically be expected to recover the very tools of that violence?
With elections approaching, the continued presence of such a huge number of weapons has made the country’s security situation even more alarming. Since the July riots, the police force has not been able to fully recover. There is deep public dissatisfaction and anxiety about law and order. One shooting and murder after another is taking place, clearly indicating that the looted weapons are now being used by BNP–Jamaat terrorists.
Election expert Dr. Abdul Alim warns that without reassurance on security, it will be difficult to bring voters to polling centers. But does the Yunus government even want ordinary people to be able to vote freely and safely? A government that was not elected by the people, but instead came to power through a military-backed coup, how much value can it truly place on democratic processes and voting rights?
This individual, widely known as a usurious moneylender, and his illegal government have pushed the country toward dangerous uncertainty. More than a thousand weapons are now in criminal hands, yet the government shows no concern. Even in the face of this horrific situation, the home affairs adviser remains indifferent. The looting of such a vast quantity of weapons by extremists seems to mean nothing to them. Perhaps it was part of the plan all along.
A government that came to power with foreign money and the support of Islamist militant organizations raises a fundamental question: how much do national security and the lives of citizens actually matter to it? This question now weighs on the mind of every conscious citizen. A year and a half has passed, yet there is still no trace of thousands of weapons. These arms have become toys in the hands of terrorists and militants and will be used during elections to intimidate the public and create violence at polling centers.
The Yunus government’s extreme irresponsibility and negligence have pushed the country into a deep crisis. Whose interests this government is truly serving is no longer a mystery. Obeying foreign masters and protecting militant-terrorist groups appear to be its only priorities. Ordinary people, their lives, and their security simply do not matter to this government.
Source: BBC Bangla
https://www.bbc.com/bengali/articles/c4g587k53vjo
