The majority of individuals in possession of illegal firearms following the July uprising in Chattogram remain beyond reach

Many Perpetrators of Firearm Violence During Chattogram Student Protests Remain Untraceable

A significant number of individuals who carried illegal firearms to suppress the student and public movement in July-August last year remain beyond the reach of law enforcement. While the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and police have arrested around 10 individuals in connection with these incidents, the firearms used during the protests are yet to be recovered.

According to the police, those who brandished weapons during the student movement were affiliated with the Jubo League and Swechchhasebak League. The weapons included pistols, shotguns, and sawed-off firearms. Law enforcement agencies are currently compiling a comprehensive list of individuals who used firearms to suppress the protests.

On July 18, 2024, Chittagong University student Hridoy Chandra Tarua was fatally shot in the Muradpur area of the city. Speaking to Prothom Alo, his brother-in-law, Deepak Mistri, stated, “The entire nation witnessed who carried the firearms. Yet, the police have not taken action against them. We demand justice.”

Several clashes between students, police, and activists of Jubo League and Chhatra League were reported on July 16, July 18, and August 4. These violent confrontations resulted in at least 10 deaths and over 500 injuries. In response, 82 cases were filed, leading to the arrests of former lawmakers MA Latif, Fazle Karim Chowdhury, and Abu Reza Nadvi.

Videos and photographs from the incidents identified several individuals carrying firearms in different locations. On July 16, in the Muradpur area, former deputy finance secretary of Jubo League’s central executive council, Helal Akbar Chowdhury Babar, was seen armed. He was known to be closely associated with former Education Minister Mohibul Hassan Chowdhoury. Additionally, a known terrorist, Md Firoz, who identified himself as a Jubo League leader, was seen carrying a sawed-off gun and claimed to be an associate of Chattogram city Awami League’s general secretary, AJM Nasir Uddin. However, he did not officially hold any position in the party.

Md Delwar, a Chattogram city Swechchhasebak League organizer and a supporter of Helal Akbar, was also spotted carrying a shotgun. Jubo League activists NH Mithu and Md Jafar, both followers of Chattogram city unit general secretary Nurul Azim Rony, were seen brandishing pistols. Rony is known to be a close aide of former Education Minister Mohibul Hassan.

Among these individuals, only Md Firoz was arrested by RAB on October 24, 2024, while the rest remain at large.

On July 18, Chandgaon Swechchhasebak League’s dissolved unit president, Mohiuddin Farhad, along with Jubo League activists Md Jalal alias Drill Jalal and Md Mizan, were seen wielding pistols, while Jubo League activist Md Towhid was carrying a shotgun. Eyewitnesses reported that they were followers of former Awami League councilor Md Esral from Ward No. 4. RAB arrested Mizan on September 17 and Towhid on November 23, but the remaining suspects remain untraced.

The highest use of illegal firearms was observed in the New Market area on August 4, during a violent clash between Chhatra League, Jubo League, and protesting students. Video footage captured at least 10 individuals carrying firearms in the New Market and Askar Dighir Par areas under Kotwali Police Station.

One video showed a man wearing a helmet firing a revolver behind the Narcotics Department office at around 11:30 AM, accompanied by another individual throwing a crude bomb. Locals identified the gunman as a leader of the City College branch of the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL).

In another instance, a helmeted man carrying a shotgun and another individual wielding a pistol were seen opening fire, while another youth was captured shooting at students around noon.

Former councilor Shaibal Das led a group of Awami League activists in chasing protesters, with a man carrying a shotgun at his side. Video footage showed Das directing the armed individual forward, after which multiple gunshots were heard. The shotgun-wielding man was later identified as Farhadul Islam Chowdhury, alias Rintu, the deputy social welfare secretary of BCL’s central executive council. Another individual beside him was seen concealing a gun in his pants, but his identity remains unknown.

Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP) Deputy Commissioner (Media) Md Rais Uddin stated that law enforcement agencies have arrested 10 individuals on charges of carrying arms during the protest, with ongoing efforts to capture the remaining suspects. He further added that police are still working to determine the total number of people who used firearms during the student movement through video analysis.

Commenting on the matter, Akhter Kabir Chowdhury, General Secretary of Sushasoner Jonno Nagorik in Chattogram, criticized law enforcement agencies for their failure to apprehend those who openly carried firearms and recover illegal weapons used in the attacks. He warned that unless action is taken, similar incidents may occur again, leading to heightened public insecurity.