Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has said a special unit has been formed to intensify operations to recover looted and illegal weapons. He announced that those who provide information helping recover such weapons will receive rewards of up to 200,000 taka.
The home minister made the remarks as chief guest at the quarterly crime review conference organized by police headquarters in the capital’s Rajarbagh on Saturday. He spoke at a press briefing held after reviewing the crime situation for the second quarter of April-June 2026.
The home minister said regular strategic planning is under way to achieve the desired improvement in the country’s law-and-order situation and to make the police force a people-friendly, publicly trusted institution, thereby enhancing its image. He said a special unit, coordinating various intelligence agencies, has already been formed to intensify operations to recover looted and illegal weapons.
Announcing that reward amounts for informants helping recover weapons have been revised, Salahuddin Ahmed said those who provide information leading to the recovery of heavy weapons will receive rewards of up to 200,000 taka. Those who provide information leading to the recovery of weapons such as pistols, revolvers and shotguns will receive rewards of up to 50,000 taka.
He said informants who help recover sound grenades, looted tear-gas shells and other looted weapons will receive rewards of 10,000, 15,000 or 20,000 taka, depending on the case.
Assuring that informants’ identities will be kept confidential, the home minister said the identity of anyone providing information will be kept completely secret, and their safety will also be given serious consideration.
The minister also said that any weapon license that was canceled and not surrendered within the specified time is being treated as an illegal weapon. Cases have been filed over such weapons, and operations to recover them are continuing.
On police accountability in combating crime, the home minister said police officers have been given a specific timeframe to take effective action against terrorists, extortionists and drug traffickers. If any officer fails to show the expected progress within the set time, strict legal and administrative action will be taken against them.
He said special strategic operations are being conducted nationwide, with the cooperation of intelligence agencies, to curb illegal weapons, drugs, smuggling and extortion.
The event was chaired by Inspector General of Police (IGP) Md Ali Hossain Fakir. Home Ministry Senior Secretary Manjur Morshed Chowdhury spoke as special guest. Additional IGP (Crime and Operations) Khondaker Rafiqul Islam delivered the welcome address.
The event was attended by police headquarters Additional IGP (Administration) A.K.M. Awlad Hossain, along with deputy inspectors general from various ranges, metropolitan police commissioners, additional police commissioners, and superintendents of police from various districts.