Law enforcers during the last two days recovered 14 grenades, four bombs, four firearms including a sub-machine carbine (SMC), two SMC magazines and 83 bullets abandoned at Brahmanbaria and Shariatpur. The nine grenades recovered at Brahmanbaria were locally made while the rest five recovered at Shariatpur were of Arges brand, a brand of grenades recovered several times before from activists of the banned Islamist militant group Harkatul Jihad Al Islami (Huji). Must be one of those "arms caches" I've heard about. Normally they only go looking from them at 2AM.
Our Brahmanbaria correspondent reports: Law enforcers recovered the grenades and firearms from a spot very close to which a bomb went off two days ago.
Witnesses and police sources said Sadequl Islam, 35, a farmer, went to his paddy field near Bhadughar Bhuiyan scrap metal shop yesterday and saw a taped bag abandoned on the aisle. Knowing that a bomb went off on April 13 at a shoe shop nearby, he informed locals about the bag around 10:00am. Later, when the news got around, Brahmanbaria Police Station Officer-in-charge Kamal Uddin, Rapid Action Battalion-9 (Rab) camp commander of Bhairab Majharul Islam and Rab Assistant Superintendent of Police Ali Ashraf rushed to the spot.
A bomb squad headed by Captain Manjur was called in. They opened the bag and found nine grenades, one 9mm pistol, two locally-made guns and 15 bullets. They were trying to deactivate the grenades last night, police sources said. On April 13, police recovered four bombs and a large quantity of bomb-making materials and a leaflet at Bhadughar Bus Stop in Brahmanbaria town.
Police arrested Sirajul Islam and Muhammad Ali in this connection. They were placed on a five-day remand for interrogation Monday. Police are also looking for Samsul Islam, a muajjin of a local mosque, for his alleged involvement in the matter.
Police recovered five Arges grenades, one sub-machine carbine (SMC), two of its magazines, and 68 bullets, including 30 SMC bullets, at North Damuddya of Damuddya upazila in Shariatpur Monday, our Madaripur correspondent reports.
The grenades, firearms and the ammunition were found in a sack dumped into Siddya canal. Police said the sack was pulled on to the bank around 3:00pm by Shafiq and his father who were fishing there with a net. Police later recovered the weapons but could not arrest anyone as of 8:30 last night.
Too early for an arrest, not dark enough.
Superintendent of Police (SP) of Shariatpur Shahriar Rahman told The Daily Star that even though the grenades were under water, they were still alive.