Police have arrested two men and recovered three firearms, two magazines and 13 rounds of ammunition during separate operations in Demra in Dhaka and Rupganj in Narayanganj, as part of an investigation into a recent shooting incident in the capital.
Among those arrested is Md Masud Rana, 35, who is identified as the convener of the Demra unit of Chhatra Dal. The other detainee is Tapas, 38, of the Borobhanga area of Demra.
Mallik Ahsan Uddin Sami, deputy commissioner of the Wari Division, confirmed the arrests and arms recovery on Tuesday (1 September).
According to police, Tapas came under investigation after information obtained through technology-assisted inquiries into a case filed with Demra Police Station indicated his alleged involvement. Acting on that information, officers arrested him at around 2.30am on Monday (31 August) near the approach to the Sultana Kamal Bridge in Demra.
Police subsequently questioned Tapas and, based on information obtained during the interrogation, conducted an operation at a house belonging to a man named Jalil in the Barabo area of Rupganj, near Sharif Melamylon. Masud Rana, who had also been identified during the investigation, was arrested from the location.
During a search of an abandoned room at Jalil’s house, officers reportedly found an old single-barrel shotgun placed on a wooden platform, along with eight rounds of ammunition.
Police then carried out another operation at Tapas’s rented accommodation in the Barabo area, acting on information provided by both detainees. Two pistols, two magazines and five rounds of ammunition were recovered from above the sunshade of the room where Tapas stayed.
Police said legal proceedings under the Arms Act were being initiated in connection with the recovery.
Shooting at BNP leader’s residence
The arrests and recovery come days after a shooting at the residence of Md Selim, convener of the Demra unit of the BNP, in the Sarulia area of Demra.
The incident took place in the early hours of 28 August. Police said eight people travelling on four motorcycles arrived in front of Selim’s house and fired three rounds. The gunfire damaged the glass of a second-floor window.
Officers recovered two pistol bullet casings and one shotgun cartridge from the scene during their initial investigation.
The latest recovery has added another dimension to the investigation, with police examining whether any of the firearms or ammunition seized in Demra and Rupganj were used in the shooting at Selim’s residence.
Police have not yet confirmed a direct link between the recovered weapons and the 28 August incident. Establishing whether the seized firearms were used in the attack, and determining the wider involvement of those arrested, will depend on the findings of the ongoing investigation.
The authorities are also continuing to examine the circumstances surrounding the movement and storage of the weapons. Any further legal action will be taken on the basis of evidence gathered during the investigation.
