Special Correspondent :
Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has stated the government’s strict stand on illegal weapons recovery and withdrawal of fake cases.
The minister informed the journalists about this stand after the discussion related to the Home Ministry at the third session of the fourth day of the District Commissioners’ Conference 2026 at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the capital today at noon.
The minister said that the conference sheds light in detail on maintaining discipline in field administration, recovery of illegal weapons, withdrawal of harassment cases and security measures taken on the occasion of the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha. He said that the licensed firearms that the public was asked to deposit during the pre-election period for the national elections have not yet been returned. A letter has been issued from the Home Ministry in this regard so that they be returned as soon as possible. The letter has directed the return of firearms in the following three categories: (1) firearms licensed before January 6, 2009, (2) firearms licensed after August 5, 2024, and (3) all licensed firearms that are found to have been issued in accordance with the license policy after the verification and selection by the committee formed earlier to verify the licenses issued for political reasons from January 6, 2009 to August 5, 2024.
The minister also said that the government has been instructed to intensify the raids, cases and confiscation process to recover about 10,000 illegal weapons that were not surrendered during the interim government.
The minister said that the government is working to resolve the ‘missing’ and fake cases filed during the previous government’s tenure. He said that the committee formed under the leadership of the District Magistrate will verify the fake, harassing and politically motivated cases. The victims can apply with a charge sheet or complaint in the prescribed form. After the initial verification, the recommendations will go to the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Law. Legal measures will be taken to withdraw these cases as per Section 494 of the CrPC. The investigating officers have been instructed to be vigilant so that no innocent person or journalist is subjected to unnecessary harassment in the genocide cases after August 5.
Stating that the decisions taken in the meeting chaired by the Prime Minister have been ordered to be implemented at the field level to make the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha safe, the Home Minister said that no animal markets will be allowed to be set up on roads and highways and along railway tracks. There will be counterfeit note detection machines in the big markets and the police will patrol with body-worn cameras. He said that a central monitoring cell will be set up at the police headquarters seven days before Eid. The highways will be monitored round-the-clock through CCTV cameras. He also said that miking and awareness signboards will be arranged at the ferry terminals to ensure the safety of passengers.
Regarding the government’s special plan to protect the leather industry, the minister said that sufficient salt will be provided free of charge at the upazila level so that leather can be preserved for up to seven days at the grassroots level. Considering the capacity of Dhaka’s ETP system, district administrators have been instructed to raise awareness so that the leather is gradually brought to Dhaka after seven days.
Responding to journalists’ questions about the fear of pushback in the political context of neighboring West Bengal, India, the minister said that the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has been asked to remain on high alert at the border. He also reiterated the government’s ‘zero tolerance’ policy against drugs, gambling and online betting, and said that regular operations will continue in this regard.
Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs Manjur Morshed Chowdhury, IGP Md. Ali Hossain Fakir and heads of departments under the Ministry of Home Affairs were present at the press briefing.
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