Our Correspondent, Bandarban
In the wake of recent arms recovery in Bandarban, intelligence agencies are investigating whether criminals are using the hill district as their new route for smuggling illegal arms.
Recovery of sophisticated arms within a short span of time has sent an alarm to the local people, police and other law enforcing agencies. Intelligence agencies have been directed to keep vigil.
Acting on information from special army intelligence and other intelligence agencies stationed in Bandarban, one M-16 rifle, one AK-47 rifle, 124 rounds of bullet and a foreign-made wireless set were recovered during the first week of this month.
Since July last year, one M-16, three AK-47, 18 SBBL, four.22 bore rifle, one rifle, three revolvers, five pistols, 124 rounds of ammunition and one powerful mine have been recovered, according to government records.
Though some arms 'carriers' have been arrested during the arms hauls, most traders still remain outside the net as they operate very cautiously.
Sources said on condition of anonymity that middlemen carry the arms from the other side of the border through bushy hilly routes of border upazilas -- Naikkhangchhari, Alikadam and Thanchi -- to Bandarban town. The arms are then handed over to local traders.
A report of Joint Risk Assessment Commission of the government and the donor countries identified the three upazilas as 'medium risky areas'.
The commission said, quoting Bangladesh Rifles (BDR), that BDR cannot keep the area under control as about 70 kilometres of the Bangladesh-Myanmar border still remain unmarked. Criminals are using the area for smuggling and trespassing, it said.
A local source said some armed intruders are sneaking through the unguarded area and using Bandarban for their own benefit. Some armed groups including the Arakan Army of Myanmar, Democratic Party of Arakan and National United Party of Arakan are involved in evil activities.
The source disclosed that armed criminals have built five makeshift ghats on
the river to carry out extortion in Bandarban. They are extracting Tk 200 from
each boat and Tk 15 for each cubic foot of wood at the camp they set up on a
hill in Tarasa Baidyapara, four kilometres from Bandarban town. These criminals
are allegedly also involved in arms trade.