http://www.thedailystar.net/2004/11/25/d4112501022.htm
The Daily Star, Vol. 5 Num 180
Thu. November 25, 2004
Our Correspondent, Bandarban
Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) seized more firearms and ammunition including
mortars and light machineguns (LMG) from bordering Naikkhongchhari
yesterday, a day after the seizure of a huge cache of arms and
ammunition from the same upazila.
Tipped off, BDR jawans of 40 Rifles Battalion dug out the sophisticated
weapons from the bank of a pond at hilly Jarullachhari near Myanmar
border, three kilometres off the upazila headquarters, in their
continued searching operations at noon.
The seized weapons include two 60mm and two 2-inch mortars, three
British-made LMGs and its 49 magazines, 32 magazines of self-loading
rifle (SLR), 11 magazines of AK47 assault rifle, and 2,000 bullets of
British-made LMG.
On Tuesday, the BDR seized seven AK47 and two M16 rifles, one rocket
launcher, one point 22 bore rifle, two 12-bore shotguns, two air rifles,
1,671 bullets, 1,275 of which are of AK47 and 90 of M16, from deep
forest at village Techhari of the same upazila.
The BDR team led by Naikkhongchhari zone commander Lt Col Hasinur
Rahman, who also led Tuesday's operations, started searching the
Jarullachhari area in the morning and found the weapons beneath the
ground.
The law-enforcers however remained tight-lipped about the source of the
firearms despite repeated seizures of huge sophisticated firearms,
explosives and ammunition in Naikkhongchhari in the recent months.
Sources said the Muslim insurgents in bordering Arakan of Myanmar might
have link to the huge firearms, explosives and ammunition.
The Arakan Rohingya Nationalist Organisation and the communist groups
fighting against the military ruler of Myanmar got united last year and
started arms and ammunition trafficking to different countries with the
help of Rohingya refugees.
Asked, Lt Col Hasinur said he does not know clearly who were hoarding
the arms and ammunition in the area. He said using BDR's own
intelligence network he is seizing the forearms and ammunition.
In the last few months, BDR seized huge arms, ammunition and explosives
including M16 and AK47 rifles, grenades, anti-tank mine, anti-personal
mine, rocket launcher, powerful bombs, wireless sets, machineguns,
plastic explosives, gun powder, containers full of acid and various
chemicals from the frontier area.