Published : 01 Nov 2025, 10:46 PM
Updated : 21 Aug 2026, 02:39 PM
The Rapid Action Battalion has arrested eight people with 11 firearms from the riverine areas of Raipura in Narsingdi, saying the weapons were kept to “assert territorial dominance”.
According to the RAB, the arms were smuggled in from a neighbouring country through river routes, while some were also sourced from Moheshkhali in Cox’s Bazar.
The arrests were made during an overnight raid on Friday in Saidabad under Raipura Police Station.
The arrestees are Mohammad Shafik Mia, 32, Mohammad Mostafa, 38, Md Ainal, 38, Mohiuddin Hridoy, 22, Mohammad Bachchu Mia, 62, Kalu Mia, 69, Mohammad Bashed, 40, and a 17-year-old boy.
Recovered weapons include two foreign-made pistols, five single-barrel guns, one double-barrel gun, two LGs, and one pipe gun.
The elite force also seized three magazines and 35 rounds of ammunition.
Speaking at a press conference in Dhaka’s Karwan Bazar, RAB-11 Commanding Officer Lt Col HM Shazzad Hossain said: “These weapons were brought across the border through river routes. There are some craftsmen in the hilly areas of Moheshkhali who also produce weapons.
“Sometimes, these craftsmen were even brought in to make arms locally.”
Frequent clashes between rival groups over territorial control have been reported in Narsingdi.
Earlier on Saturday afternoon, two brothers were killed and a woman was injured in a rival attack in the remote Char Subuddhi of Raipura over a “land dispute”.
The RAB also noted several previous incidents of violence in the region: on Sept 28, one man was shot dead in a clash in Narsingdi’s riverine area; on Sept 9, another person was killed and one injured in Raipura; on Jul 10, a woman died after being shot during a conflict in Raipura; and on Apr 22, one person was killed in Narsingdi Sadar over local dominance.
The force said these clashes were driven by local rivalries over territorial control, sand extraction sites, riverine areas, and marketplaces.
Following intelligence surveillance in the aftermath of these incidents, the RAB launched a targeted overnight operation on Friday, leading to the arrests.
“They even tried to attack us during the raid with shotgun fire and crude bombs,” officer Shazzad said. “But we were able to complete the operation safely.”
When asked about political affiliations, the officer said: “Whoever commits a crime, whichever group they belong to, is not our concern.
“If firearms are in the hands of criminals, they can be used to create unrest or serve political interests. That is why we are conducting operations to recover weapons, and these drives are ongoing.”
Asked how the suspects obtained the weapons, he said: “There are different local groups involved. Some operate along the border. We are collecting information about them.”
The river route remains somewhat insecure, and that’s what they exploit to transport arms. Our operations continue, which is why we’re successfully recovering weapons,” he added.
