Two held in Chittagong with a 'councillor's gun'

RAB has arrested two youths with a foreign rifle and 56 rounds of bullets from Hathazari area in Chittagong.

The arrestees - Shafiul Bashar Roni, 28, and Sohel Rana, 32, - are known to be followers of Toufique Ahmed Chowdhury, the councillor from South Paharhtali Ward-1 of Chittagong City Corporation.    

Toufique told bdnews24.com that he owns the licensed firearm which was with his cousin Roni and nephew Rana.

"They were on another car behind me when I left my office in the afternoon. My licensed firearm was also in that car," he said.

"I didn't know that no other person than the licence-holder can carry the gun," he added.

The duo were arrested and the car was seized from Chowdhuryhat around 5pm, RAB-7 Senior Assistant Director Shaheda Sultana told bdnews24.com.

The gun is a GSG-5 rifle of .22 bore, she said.

"It is illegal to carry someone else’s firearm," she said.

"They showed a copy of the licence, but it's time has expired. Besides this, no one can carry more than 50 rounds of bullets even after having a licence," she added.

Toufique claimed the licence will be valid until the end of January.

Juba League leader Toufique is a supporter of Chittagong Mayor AJM Nasir Uddin.

He allegedly took control of several polling stations at his ward on gunpoint and sealed ballots in his favour during the Apr 28, 2015 city corporation elections.