According to a media source, Bangladesh interim government Home Affairs Adviser Brigadier General (retd) M Sakhawat Hussain asked demonstrators on Monday to surrender all illegal and unauthorised guns, including rifles taken from law enforcement during recent unrest, by August 19.
‘If arms not returned in time, severe action would be taken’: Sakhawat Hussain
Hussain stated that if the arms were not returned to adjacent police stations, authorities would conduct a search, and anyone found in possession of unlicensed firearms would face charges, according to The Daily Star newspaper.
Hussain spoke to media at the Combined Military Hospital here after visiting paramilitary Bangladesh Ansar men who were injured during the large protest that led to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s departure.
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Sheikh Hasina resigned and left the country last week
Last week, Sheikh Hasina resigned and left the nation, sending her country into disarray over rallies against her government over a contentious job quota system.
According to Hussain, throughout the protest, thousands of people were hurt in addition to death of about 500 people, mostly students.
“A youth was seen in the video taking away a 7.62 mm rifle. That means the rifle was not returned. If you did not hand over (out of fear), hand over the firearms through anyone else,” he said.
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Hussain stated that they would conduct an investigation to identify the youth in civilian clothes who opened fire on Ansar members.
However, he toned down his remarks from yesterday about shutting down media sites that publish or broadcast false or misleading material.
“I said it out of anger. It is not my job,” he said. “I never support shutting down any media.”
