# Illegal arms holders of Awami era fear to infiltrate various movements
# Arms of autocratic Hasina's party members not recovered even in a month
# Demand for recovering weapons by identifying CCTV footage
Hundreds of students and people were shot dead by BCL-Jubo League. Their illegal weapons are a major threat to sovereignty
-Akhtar Hossain, Member Secretary, Jatiya Nagorik Committee
The leaders of Awami League (AL) including its associate bodies leaders and activists used to have illegal weapons on every campus, in every ward. Durung the students-people movement they opened fire by illegal weapons. Hundreds of students, including female students, were killed in their firing.
Thousands of students are still fighting for their lives in public hospitals after being shot by these forces created by Hasina. A month after the formation of a new advisory government, it is still not possible to recover weapons from the identified people and arrest them.
Those involved in the student movement said that if the arms of the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), Jubo League are not recovered soon, the indiscriminate firing force can jump on the student crowd at any time and give rise to incidents like counter-coup. Besides, the illegal arms holders of the AL era are also likely to enter the movement on various ongoing issues.
Rahat Bhuiyan of Feni was in the scene of the shooting. He said the BCL, Jubo League and AL opened fire indiscriminately on the students at Mohipal in Feni from 1 pm to 3 pm on August 4. Nine people died on the spot. Later, two more people were killed. A total of 11 people were martyred in one day. Rahat also claimed that more than 100 people were injured.
He said that on that day, the armed men of BCL-Jubo League also defeated the militants. I can't forget the events of that day. How many people are bleeding that I have rescued and sent to the hospital. Feni MP Nizam Hazari is involved in the arms trade, he handed over arms to the leaders of every ward in Feni.
Feni Sadar Upazila AL President and Chanua Union Parishad Chairman Karim Ullah, District Jubo League Organizing Secretary and former councilor of ward no 2 of Feni municipality Lutfur Rahman Khokon Hazari, former senior vice-president of Feni district BCL Ziauddin Bablu, Sadar Upazila BCL Education Secretary Imtiaz Emon and Sadar Upazila AL General Secretary Shusen Chandra Shil's body Tanjir opened fire on the students. There are also others who could not be identified as they were wearing helmets.
This happened not only in Feni but all over the country. Ashraful Amin was in Jatrabari area on July 20. He said that in the afternoon, local cadres of BCL and Jubo League opened fire in broad daylight along with police in Jatrabari's Kajla area. They had modern weapons. When they came in front of the firing at around 3:30 pm, 10/12 students were shot dead on the spot. Ashraful claimed that 5/6 people were killed in the firing of BCL-Jubo League in the signboard area the previous day.
Sanaul Haque Sunny, who was involved in the movement, told about the horrific incident of Uttara in the capital on July 19. He said, "We were protesting peacefully in Rajlakshmi area of Uttara. In the afternoon, suddenly BCL and Jubo League opened fire on us. Our 8/9 brothers fell on the spot due to their firing. Six of them were rushed to the hospital where police declared them dead. At least 20 others were shot."
Mohiuddin, a student of Dhaka College, saw the scene of BCL firing in Dhanmondi area and Jigatala on August 4. He said three students were shot dead by BCL Jubo League on the spot around 1:30pm. At least 10 other students were also shot.
Those concerned with the movement said that AL has run misrule for the last 16 years. To retain power, Sheikh Hasina has handed over illegal arms to important leaders of BCL, Jubo League and AL. Although the autocratic Hasina fled the country on August 5, all other leaders are in the country. Everyone is in hiding. Although the weapons looted from the police station were recovered one by one during the special operation of the joint forces, the people who opened fire on the common people on August 5 and at different times during the Awami era.
The images that have been published in the media are still not being recovered. The people who shot are not being arrested. It is still unknown how many thousands of illegal weapons are in the possession of Awami followers. It is feared that the victory of the student masses may fade at any time if the illegal are not recovered and the identified persons are not arrested.
Omar Farooq, spokesperson from a political party said that some of our neighbouring countries used to donate crores to AL. Now that there is no AL, those who are now protesting with the demands of the present advisory government are spending on them. Counter-revolution is being conspired on various issues. BCL, Jubo League, which is in hiding at any time, can enter these movements. And the way they shot at the students, they can come back to their old form.
Regarding this matter, Akhtar Hossain, member secretary of Jatiyo Nagorik Committee and convener of Ganotantrik Chhatra Shakti, told The Daily Post that during the anti-discrimination student movement, the cadres of BCL and Jubo League opened fire on the students and people openly brandishing illegal weapons. That's what people all over the country saw.
Hundreds of our students have been killed and thousands of students have been injured in their firing. They opened fire wherever the students took to the streets across the country, including Dhaka. Illegal arms of BCL, Jubo League and AL are now a big threat to the country's independence and sovereignty.
We are urging the present government to collect video footage from the spot and identify and arrest the cadres of BCL and Jubo League. At the same time, we strongly demand to ensure such punishment so that the power of such a political party cannot even think of firing on the student people in the future. We have to remember that although the autocratic Hasina has fled, her cadre forces are still conspiring to create many incidents like counter-revolution.
ZH
