5000 sharp weapons seized from NGO godown in Cox’s Bazar

Five thousand sharp weapons were recovered from a godown of a local NGO at Malbhitapara in Ukhiya upaizla of Cox’s Bazar on Thursday night.

Tipped off, a team, led by executive magistrate and assistant commissioner (land) Fakhrul Islam, conducted a drive in the godown of Shed, an NGO, and recovered the locally-made weapons kept in 20/25 sacks.

The weapons include machetes, knives, saw and other sharp weapons.
Legal action will be taken against them after investigation, said executive magistrate and assistant commissioner (land) Fakhrul.

On Wednesday, the government banned the activities of two NGOs -ADRA Bangladesh and Al-Markazul Islami for providing financial assistance for the August 25 rally of Rohingyas and campaigning against the Rohingya repatriation.

On August 31, 41 non-government organisations (NGOs) were withdrawn from all kinds of activities in Cox's Bazar Rohingya camps for their wrongdoings.

Thousands of Rohingyas staged a huge rally in Ukhiya on August 25 demanding that the international community step up pressure on Myanmar to meet their five-point demand, including repatriation, citizenship and trial in the international court of those involved in killing and persecution.

Bangladesh is now hosting over 1.1 million Rohingyas and most of them entered the country since August 25, 2017.

Despite all the preparations, no Rohingya turned up on August 22 to avail of the “voluntary” repatriation offer given to them to go back to their place of origin prompting the authorities to suspend the repatriation process.

The first batch of Rohingyas was scheduled to return on November 15 last year but it was halted amid the unwillingness of Rohingyas to go back for lack of a congenial environment in Rakhine.

Bangladesh and Myanmar signed a repatriation deal on November 23, 2017, but there has been little progress.

Source: unb