Bangladesh will buy 200,000 rubber bullets from Turkey by the end of this month or October.
In August, 10,000 rubber bullets were brought from the same country. Three people, including a joint secretary of the Home Ministry and a senior officer of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), are scheduled to visit Turkey later this month.
The move is part of the government's preparations to deal with conflict and violence ahead of the upcoming national elections.
Home Ministry sources said opposition political parties are holding rallies and meetings on the streets before the national elections and may engage in violent acts. In light of this, the government is taking measures to uphold law and order, aiming to minimize both loss of life and property damage.
Tear gas shells and rubber bullets are usually used to prevent major riots. That is why the two items are being brought from Turkey ahead of the elections.
Md Zahidul Islam, senior assistant secretary, Public Security Division, Home Ministry; Dhananjoy Kumar Das, deputy secretary, Public Security Division, Home Ministry; Biplob Kumar, joint commissioner (operations), Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP); and Dewan Dewan Jalal Uddin Chowdhury, superintendent of police, will visit Turkey by the end of this month.
During the three-day visit from September 28 to 30, these officials will visit a factory there and check the cartridges.
After that they will be brought to Bangladesh in a short time.
Three police officers have already gone to Turkey to bring 90,000 long-range tear gas shells to deter distant targets. Those tear gas shells are also likely to arrive this month.
