Dhaka: Members of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) apprehended two alleged armed men and confiscated a rare foreign-made Sterling submachine gun, a foreign-made pistol, and 34 rounds of live ammunition in separate operations conducted in Rajbari’s Sadar and Goalanda upazilas.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the arrested individuals have been identified as Md Momin Molla and Hasan Ali Biswas. RAB officials stated that the men are linked to the banned Sarbahara Party’s Manju-Jahangir group. The arrests were made during operations carried out by members of RAB-10’s CPC-3 Faridpur Camp on Wednesday evening and night. RAB-10 Commanding Officer Additional DIG Md Asaduzzaman provided details during a press conference at the RAB Media Centre in Karwan Bazar on Thursday afternoon, alongside Major Farhan Mahmud Moktada, Company Commander of RAB’s Faridpur Camp.
Briefing the media, Asaduzzaman revealed that the first operation was initiated based on a tip-off and took place in the Mahishkhola Mollabari area under Pachuria Union in Rajbari Sadar around 6:45 pm on Wednesday. Momin Molla was apprehended during this operation, with RAB recovering a foreign-made Sterling submachine gun, two magazines, 28 rounds of live ammunition, and two mobile phones from his possession. Asaduzzaman noted that Molla is a Saudi Arabia expatriate who returned to Bangladesh a month ago and was scheduled to return to Saudi Arabia on August 13, adding that the Sterling submachine gun is an extremely rare type of firearm.
In a separate operation around 10:15 pm the same day, RAB arrested Hasan Ali Biswas near Jalil Member Bridge in Chhoto Bhakla Union under Goalanda upazila. RAB recovered a foreign-made pistol, one magazine, six rounds of live ammunition, several locally made weapons, four mobile phones, and Tk 15,300 in cash from his possession. Preliminary interrogation indicated that both men have ties to the Sarbahara Party, with Biswas being associated with the party’s Manju-Jahangir group.
Asaduzzaman stated that efforts to apprehend the group’s leader, Manju-Jahangir, are ongoing, and that local residents had been troubled by the criminal activities of the arrested men. RAB plans to seek remand of the accused to uncover the source of the weapons, their intended use, and other associates. Cases under the Arms Act are being filed against the two men at the respective police stations, and legal proceedings are underway.