Ansars sold bullets looted from jute mills in Daulatpur

The six bullets recovered from their possession are among the 600 looted from the store at Daulatpur Jute mill on the night of April 24, they told Khulna Metropolitan Police (KMP) detectives.

DB police recovered 13 illegal arms, six rifle bullets and 16 live gun cartridges from their possession on May 26. They are now in Khulna Jail. They hail from Dhanshagor village in Swarankhola upazila.

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The alleged sale of bullets to criminals by Ansars has created sensation in the police department.

Investigation has been started to ascertain whether the six bullets recovered from pirates were among those looted along with 20 rifles by PBCP outlaws allegedly with the help of two on-duty Ansars at Daulatpur Jute mill.

"We are deeply concerned and have taken he matter seriously because many of the Ansars have criminal background", said a senior official of KMP.

According to official records, 42 arms and over 1000 bullets of different kinds were looted from Ansars in Khulna, Jessore and Bagerhat districts in the last seven years.

Of these, five rifles and 30 bullets were looted by outlaws on December 29, 1997 from on-duty Ansars in Rupsha upazila.

On November 22, 1999, outlaws looted 12 rifles and 150 bullets from Ansars at Nowpara Akij Jute Mill in Jessore.

On May 12 in the same year, outlaws looted five rifles from Ansars at a passenger launch at Rampal upazila in Bagerhat.

Besides, 42 arms and eight guns were looted by outlaws in 1998 from Shiromoni Cable Shilpa Ltd where private security guards were on duty.

There are allegations that there is no chain of command in the Ansar department in Khulna division. As a result, higher authorities fail to take departmental action against Ansars.

Besides, many extremists got enrolled as Ansars, taking advantage of the general amnesty in 1999, KMP sources said.

When contacted, District Ansar Adjutant S M Nazimul Islam refuted the allegation, saying there is no scope for Ansars to sell bullet because they have to get their arms and bullets checked by higher authorities every day.