The government has decided to remove lethal weapons from the regular police force, restricting their possession exclusively to the Armed Police Battalion (APBn), Home Adviser Brigadier General (Retd.) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury announced on Monday.
Following the ninth meeting of the Law and Order Advisory Council, the Home Adviser briefed reporters, stating that firearms such as Chinese rifles, submachine guns, and 9mm pistols—previously used by police—will be handed over. Only APBn personnel will retain such weaponry.
This decision comes in the wake of widespread demands raised after the fall of the Awami League government during the mass student uprising on August 5 last year. The call for disarming regular police intensified, gaining momentum during the DC Conference in February, where several Deputy Commissioners recommended the removal of lethal arms from police custody.
“There is no need for lethal weapons during regular police operations. Such arms will remain with APBn only,” said the Home Adviser.
When asked about the implementation timeline, he clarified, “The decision has been made today, but execution will take some time. No policy is enforced overnight.”
To determine which non-lethal weapons may be retained by the police and how future operations will be conducted, a committee has been formed under the leadership of Khoda Bakhsh Chowdhury, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser at the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The meeting also discussed restructuring the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB). A separate committee, headed by Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Abdul Hafiz, Special Government Adviser to the Chief Adviser, has been formed to evaluate whether RAB will retain its current name, uniform, and structure. The five-to-six-member panel will include representatives from different security forces and may expand if necessary. The committee will outline RAB’s future role, structure, and branding.
LND/BG
–
English News : https://www.libertynewsbd.com
বাংলা সংবাদ : https://www.bangla.libertynewsbd.com
X : https://www.x.com/libertynewsbd
Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/libertynewsbd/
