Ishraque Hossain, the recently ousted former state minister for liberation war affairs, recently came under the spotlight after conducting an anti-drug raid while brandishing a firearm near the Dayaganj Ghuntighar railway crossing, adjacent to Gandaria Railway Station in the capital.
The incident raised serious questions about the firearms carried by Ishraque and his associates. In particular, Pavel Sikder, former convener of the Dhaka Metropolitan South unit of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD), the student wing of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), was seen brandishing a rifle.
However, an investigation by Asia Post has confirmed that Pavel does not hold a firearms licence in his name. Police have stated that the rifle he was carrying is licensed to Ishraque Hossain.
Mallik Ahsan Uddin Sami, deputy commissioner of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s (DMP) Wari Division, confirmed this information to Asia Post. He said police had not questioned Pavel about the rifle, and no investigation had been conducted into the matter.
Following the viral spread of a video showing the armed raid, Ishraque Hossain resigned from the cabinet on the prime minister’s instructions. The video shows several individuals accompanying Ishraque carrying firearms, including Pavel Sikder.
According to DMP sources, the weapon Pavel was seen carrying is a foreign-made rifle licensed to Ishraque Hossain. It is a German-made .22-calibre rifle, with the identification number BP 102033. Its model is the Walther Colt M4.
Mallik Ahsan Uddin Sami, deputy commissioner of the DMP’s Wari Division, told Asia Post: “The weapon seen in the hands of student leader Pavel during former State Minister Ishraque Hossain’s anti-drug raid is a .22-calibre rifle. We have confirmed that the owner is Ishraque Hossain.”
The viral video shows Ishraque Hossain stepping out of a vehicle with a firearm in his hand. His associates then move towards several people positioned beside the railway tracks to apprehend them.
Two personal bodyguards, Tofazzal Hossain and Lavlu, accompanied Ishraque. Both had been hired by Ishraque himself. A government-appointed bodyguard was also present. Both personal bodyguards were carrying firearms, while the video shows the government bodyguard aiming a weapon.
The same video shows Pavel Sikder, former convener of the Dhaka Metropolitan South unit of Chhatra Dal, standing on a wall with a rifle in his hands.
When asked whether police had investigated the rifle, the deputy commissioner of the Wari Division replied: “We have not conducted any investigation into this matter.”
What Firearms Rules Say
According to the guidelines under the Ministry of Home Affairs’ firearms policy, a licensed individual may carry a firearm only for self-defence. Displaying a weapon in a manner that creates fear or panic among the general public is illegal. Handing a licensed firearm to another person or publicly brandishing it in a show of force is also prohibited.
Specific regulations govern the use of shotguns and rifles for personal protection or security purposes.
Asked whether the former Chhatra Dal leader had been questioned about whether he was legally permitted to carry and display a rifle licensed to someone else, Mallik Ahsan Uddin Sami, deputy commissioner of the DMP’s Wari Division, replied: “We did not ask anything of that nature.”
Asia Post attempted to contact Pavel Sikder multiple times by mobile phone to obtain his comments, but his phone was switched off. Questions were subsequently sent to him via WhatsApp, but he did not respond.