Detectives of Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s (DMP) Lalbagh Division arrested an alleged arms trader along with two foreign pistols and 21 rounds of ammunition on the Dhaka–Mawa highway in the capital’s Shyampur area.
The arrestee was identified as Azgar Ali alias Bhola (55).
Deputy Commissioner (DB-Lalbagh Division) Branch Md Mostak Sarkar disclosed all this while briefing reporters at the DMP Media Centre on Thursday afternoon.
During the briefing he said a team of DB Lalbagh division was deployed in the Chankharpul area on Thursday morning as part of a special operation. Based on intelligence, the team came to know that an arms dealer was entering Dhaka by a Sohag Paribahan bus.
Following the tip-off, the DB team took position in front of Bonoful Sweets shop on the Dhaka–Mawa highway in West Dholairpar of Shyampur around 1:30pm. At one stage about 1:40pm, they signalled a Sohag Paribahan bus coming from Benapole to stop and conducted a search in the presence of the bus supervisor and helper.
During the search, detectives identified the suspect following the intelligence information and conducted a body search.
A silver-coloured foreign pistol and two silver-coloured magazines wrapped with black tape were recovered from one side of his waist. Another black-coloured pistol and two black magazines wrapped with plastic tape were recovered from the other side.
Mostak Sarkar said no incriminating items were found in the bag the suspect was carrying. However, 21 rounds of live ammunition were recovered from his trouser pocket.
During preliminary interrogation, Azgar said he hails from the Benapole area of Jashore district.
Police said he has a previous arms case filed with Khilgaon Police Station in 2021 and was arrested in 2024 by Savar Police Station with a large quantity of phensedyl.
Police suspect he is an arms trader, though details about the source of the weapons and the intended buyers in Dhaka are yet to be known.
Responding to a question on whether the arms were brought to Dhaka centring the upcoming election, the DB official said it was not possible to say specifically if they were linked to the election.
He also said that the primary objective of such illegal arms is to deteriorate law and order, and further interrogation would reveal the source and intended recipients of the weapons.