The Government was clearly trying to mislead
the investigation made by professionals. But media reports focused attention on
the central point of truth.
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Huge arms cache seized from deep forests of the Chittagong Hills districts
The Daily Star Correspondent, Bandarban |
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Powerful explosives seized from Gaibandha
train..'Regional commander' of Jamaat-ul-Mujaheedin held Big bangs rocked the area and could be heard from as far as three
kilometres when the explosives were detonated, an event watched by a few
hundred people. Police on November 13 produced the arrestees before a
magistrate's court, which placed each of them on a seven-day remand for
interrogation.
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BOGRA
It is now evident that the huge stock of arms
and ammunition captured in Kahalu, Bogra on 28 June 2003 was only a tip of the
ice-berg.
A cache of more than one hundred thousand
bullets of SLR, machineguns, AK-47 rifles and 180 Kg. explosives was
accidentally discovered by the local Police. But from the very beginning
importance of this incident was ignored by the Government.
Within 24 hours of capturing the shipment
Government began to blame the targeted political party, Awami League.
The Government was clearly trying to mislead
the investigation made by professionals. But media reports focused attention on
the central point of truth.
The Government barred media access to the area
and the facts of the case and went to the extent of threatening two electronic
TV channels, namely Channel I and ATN Bangla for their accurate/factual
reporting of the story.
Bogra district police also harassed and
threatened local correspondents of national media. Even then the media men tried
their best in search of the truth.
Such serious incidentsare a clear threat for
security and sovereignty of Bangladesh. But the Government seems to take a
relaxed view of the matter.
So the inevitable question is, for what reasons
or to save whom does the Government refuse to take actual initiative to focus
the truth?
Chittagong :
In the early hours of 1 April 2004 ten
truckloads of arms were unloaded from two trawlers at the (protected and
restricted) jetty of Chittagong Urea Fertilizer Factory, a government owned
enterprise with foreign participation. It was the largest ever cache of
sophisticated arms smuggled into Bangladesh that has been recovered.
From the beginning the government was unwilling
to direct a serious and neutral investigation. Statements by Ministers and
officials instantly delivered loudly canvassed that the Opposition was connected
with it and it was a part of the opposition agitation for unseating the Alliance
rule.
Despite specific reporting in the media as to
who might be involved and the apparent complicity of senior members of the
Cabinet including the Advisor on Parliamentary Affairs to the Prime Minister,
there has been no progress in the investigations.
This obviously begs the question as to what is
it that the BNP-Jamaat Alliance are nervous about or trying to conceal – links
with extremist groups who enjoy the active support, protection and patronage of
Jamaat, an Alliance partner?
Attention was diverted from the real culprits
of the serious misadventure and steps for investigation were slow and shoddy as
if to leave all incidents inconclusive.
Awami League asked for an international expert
team to carry out the investigation of such a sinister smuggling operation, but
the government would not listen.
If the arms are for use in the country, then it
is important to find out which are the groups bringing them in; who are
financing the arms deal; and what are the sources.
In this incident, investigative reporting in
the national media puts forward the fact that high level Members and leaders of
the ruling Alliance appear clearly involved.
The scene of occurrence too was secure and
protected public sector jetties - a key point installation.
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Recovered
arms being unloaded, supervised |
Some of the
weapons that formed part of |
Further, the cargoes were being discharged with
assistance of, and under supervision of the law-enforcing agents.
Thus it raises serious questions of complicity
on an issue as grave as that of territorial integrity of Bangladesh and regional
stability.
While the government continues its rebuttal of
allegations, from within the country and without, of the presence of religious
extremism-driven clandestine organisations in Bangladesh, physical evidences
testifying to their truth have begun to manifest themselves in an alarming and
regular fashion.
Conclusion
The above are just two instances of recent arms
haul that have been detected and have been cited here as instances.
There are numerous other instances, as for
instance in Kuril, Badda - in close proximity to the USA Embassy in Baridhara -
on 01 December 2003 when AK-47 rifles, grenades / explosives and ammunition,
all in ready to use condition, were recovered from a shop reportedly
owned by a local BNP leader.
Government has failed to investigate
conclusively all cases of arms illegally brought into the country for use in
Bangladesh or even possible transfer to other countries. The same failure to
investigate applies to various bomb blast incidents too.
It is a reasonable assumption that only a small
portion of the smuggling is detected; therefore, the actual quantity smuggled
into and through the country is undoubtedly substantial.
The strong likely hood of a clear link between the unabated smuggling of arms and explosives into the country and the increasing frequency of bomb explosions as well as political assassinations simply cannot be disregarded.
