In the wake of pressure from high-ups to contain criminal activities, police and Bangladesh Border Guards have recently started joint operations in Lakshmipur and have arrested a good number of listed criminals.
The joint forces have arrested 415 listed criminals during the drives, but could not seize their firearms, which has created tension among locals.
Moreover, drug peddlers are still running drug smuggling rackets under the nose of law enforcers.
Local people said the people who were known as godfathers of criminal activities in the district, were yet to be arrested by the law enforcers. Locals are now terming the joint drives as just useless.
According to Lakshmipur district police sources, the drives started on May 21. Since then, Lakshmipur police station has arrested 144 listed criminals, Raipur police station arrested 103, Ramganj police station 77, Ramgati police station 45 and Komolganj police station has arrested 46 people, who are accused in several cases.
In the drives, the law enforcers only seized two LG guns, 22 rounds of bullets, one AK rifle and 198 rounds of bullets from Duttapara and Boshikpur area, respectively.
But police could not arrest the main accused in several murders, which took place in the district recently.
The accused in the Chhatra League leader Abu Noman and Jubadal activist Jahangir Hossain cases are yet to be arrested by the police, local people said.
Officer-in-Charge of Lakshmipur Sadar police station Iqbal Hossain said they could not take any actions regarding the Jahangir murder case as no case had been filed in this connection.
Advocate Habibur Rahman, general secretary of the district unit BNP, told the Dhaka Tribune that police were trying to harass BNP leaders and activists in connection with the cases filed during the past caretaker government.
“There is a godown of arms at Duttapara and Boshikpur under Sadar police station, but police recovered a small quantity of firearms from there,” he said.
Gun fights take place frequently in the areas in broad daylight, but police always keep mum over the issue as leaders and activists of the ruling party are involved in the fights, he added.
M Alauddin, president of district Awami League, told the Dhaka Tribune that it was good that law enforcers were trying to keep the law and order situation in the district normal, but they have to be more aggressive in recovering the firearms and arresting the listed criminals.
It is important to arrest the main accused of recent sensational murder cases in the district to contain criminal activities, he felt.
Lakshmipur Police Super Shah Mizan Shafiur Rahman told the Dhaka Tribune that he had joined office on May 16.
He also expressed hope that they would be able to recover firearms and drugs soon.
“One day the district will be freed from abuse of drugs and arms,” he said.
