Indian intelligence agencies have reported that nearly 1,500 firearms, including submachine guns (SMGs), light machine guns (LMGs), and shotguns, remain unrecovered in Bangladesh after being looted from law enforcement during attacks on police stations and prisons before the fall of Sheikh Hasina's government on August 5.
The Intelligence Bureau (IB) informed Delhi that 1,427 of the stolen firearms are still missing and pose a significant threat to India.
The federal agency suspects these weapons may have reached Islamic radical groups in Bangladesh, such as Ansar-Al-Islami and Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen, which have operatives in India.
“A total of 5,750 firearms were looted from law-keepers during the July uprising resulting in Hasina’s ouster,” an IB officer said.
“Among the unrecovered firearms, 1,399 were looted during attacks on police stations, and 28 rifles were taken from prison guards. We believe terrorist outfits in Bangladesh may try to smuggle these weapons to India.”
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Recovery efforts fall short
The interim Bangladeshi government has recovered 4,323 of the stolen firearms but nearly 25 per cent remain unaccounted for. “Despite one-month deadline to return stolen arms, the response has been poor,” the officer stated.
According to the IB report, 114 police stations were attacked during the protests. Among these, 58 were set on fire, and 56 were vandalised.
“In a separate incident, 85 Chinese rifles were looted from Narsingdi district jail on July 19, but only 57 have been recovered,” another officer said. The unrecovered weapons are believed to be in the hands of terrorists and criminals in Bangladesh.
“These weapons are being used to target minority communities in Bangladesh, and many are already in the possession of terrorist outfits. We suspect they will be used for subversive activities in India,” the IB officer warned.
In a recent crackdown, Assam police arrested 12 suspected members of Ansar-Al-Islami, also known as Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), from Assam, West Bengal, and Kerala. One of the arrested individuals is a Bangladeshi national.
The report highlights growing concerns over cross-border terrorism and the potential use of these unrecovered firearms for destabilising activities in India.
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