Committed to PEOPLE'S RIGHT TO KNOW
Vol. 5 Num 568 Sat. December 31, 2005  
   
Metropolitan


Natore Arms Loot
Police stations in southwestern region put on high alert


All police stations, outposts and camps in the southwestern region of the country have been put on high alert following the incident of arms loot from Bamihal police outpost at Singra in Natore on Wednesday.

The DIG of Khulna Range has directed all police supers of 10 districts in Khulna division to watch out the situation round-the-clock if police are performing duties properly in the police stations, comps and outposts.

There is information to police that underground outfits have again gained strength in the southwestern region taking advantage of ongoing operations against Islamic militants.

A total of 75 different kinds of firearms looted from different places by underground outfits in the southwestern region during the last six years are yet to be recovered.

Twelve rifles were looted from on-duty Ansars on January 19 in 1990 from Akij Jute Mill at Noapara of Jessore district. On January 6 in the same year, 20 arms were stolen from Khulna court storeroom. Seven rifles were looted from on-duty Ansars in the Inter-city Express train on August 26 in 1999. On the same night, outlaws from a shop in Jessore town looted eight guns.

Underground outfits looted one SMG, one SLR, six 303 rifles and 260 rounds of bullets from Noukurha police outpost in Rajbari Sadar upazila.

Seventeen rifles, two SMGs, 180 SMG bullets and 1,280 rifle bullets were looted from Dattapara police outpost under Sadar upazila of Madaripur on July in 2002.

Both police and Rab made major breakthrough in crushing most of the underground outfits in the southwestern region. But they could not recover any of looted arms.