111 firearms recovered so far in joint drive

A total of 111 firearms, including 30 pistols and an AK-47, have been recovered in a joint drive that began on September 4.
As many as 51 suspects were also arrested during the drive, the Police Headquarters (PHQ) said in a statement today.
The recovered firearms also include seven revolvers, nine rifles, 15 shotguns and 15 guns.
Members of the armed forces, Border Guard Bangladesh, Coast Guard, police, Rab, and Ansar took part in the drive.
The joint drives targeted three types of firearms: those looted from police, SSF and other security forces; firearms with suspended licences; and illegal firearms.
After the fall of the Awami League government on August 5 in the face of a mass uprising, mobs looted firearms and bullets from different police stations and establishments across the country.
The new interim government then gave a September 3 deadline for submitting the looted firearms to nearby police stations.
The government also ordered to deposit licensed firearms within the same timeframe, suspending the licences issued in the last 15 years during the AL government’s tenure.
The joint drive was launched on September 4 after the end of the deadline.