Editorial
Chittagong arms haul case
Culprits must be punished
It is welcome news that that a court has ordered a fresh probe into the Chittagong arms and ammunition haul, in which 10 truck-loads of combat-grade weapons and ammunition were seized by the police on April 2, 2004. The investigators failed to unearth the mystery behind the huge quantity of arms found on a jetty, even after 46 months.
The nature and quantity of the arms haul do suggest that a big, organised group of arms smugglers were involved in the deal . But it is still not known where the arms would have gone and who would have received them. The danger associated with the case remaining unresolved is far too great to be overlooked. It is also not known how many of such consignments managed to sneak through the security arrangements and where they landed ultimately.
The point is all the more relevant in view of the proliferation of terrorist and criminal activities in not only Bangladesh but also the region as a whole. Such arms and ammunition entering the country through the underworld dealers could easily reach any militant group and used for carrying out subversive activities. The spate of political violence in the country in recent years could also have a lot to do with availability of lethal weapons.
So, the popular expectation was that the arms haul cases would be resolved with due sense of urgency, for these had a direct bearing on national security. But nothing of the sort has happened and it seems, as the magistrate has ordered the police to appoint an honest investigation officer, the case will have to be almost restarted. It is not at all clear why the immediate past BNP-led government failed to attach due importance to such a sensational case. Even though it was the duty of the police to make progress on the investigation, it is evident that the government made no special efforts to catch the culprits. No doubt, national security is compromised by such lapses.
The reinvestigation into the case will hopefully put an end to the mystery that only gave rise to speculations regarding the culprits and the motive of the then government. Finally, the investigation must remain uninfluenced by any extraneous factors.
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