Govt forms special unit to recover looted, illegal firearms, revises rewards for tips

The government has formed a special unit in coordination with different intelligence agencies and intensified raids to recover looted and illegal firearms, as well as revised the monetary rewards for tips that may lead to the retrieval of the weapons.

Home Affairs Minister Salahuddin Ahmed made the announcement today (29 August) at a press briefing after attending the quarterly crime review conference for April-June 2026. The Police Headquarters organised the conference at the Bangladesh Police Auditorium in Rajarbagh, Dhaka.

Salahuddin said people will receive up to Tk2 lakh for information leading to the recovery of heavy weapons. Those providing information on pistols, revolvers or shotguns will receive up to Tk50,000.

Information leading to the recovery of sound grenades, looted tear gas shells, and other looted weapons will be rewarded with Tk10,000, Tk15,000, and Tk20,000, depending on the type.

The minister assured that the identities of the informants would remain strictly confidential.

He said firearms with cancelled licences that were not surrendered within the stipulated deadline had been classified as illegal weapons. Cases have been filed over them, and operations to recover them are ongoing, he added.

In August last year, the interim government had announced cash rewards ranging from Tk50,000 to Tk5 lakh for information leading to the recovery of weapons lost by law enforcement officials or looted during the 2024 July Uprising.

The initiative was part of a special effort to recover the approximately 700 weapons that were unaccounted for at that time. For a looted pistol or shotgun, a reward of Tk50,000 was announced. The reward increased to Tk1 lakh for a China rifle, Tk1.5 lakh for an SMG, Tk5 lakh for a light machine gun (LMG), and Tk500 for each bullet.

Stressing that the government was regularly adopting strategic plans to improve law and order, Salahuddin today said they also aim to make the police more people-friendly and public-oriented while improving their image.

He warned that police officers who fail to make progress within the stipulated timeframe in controlling crime, extortion, and drugs would face strict legal and administrative action.

The minister said specific deadlines have been set for taking effective action against criminals, extortionists, and drug dealers. "Any officer who fails to make the expected progress within the stipulated timeframe will face strict action."