DHAKA: Law enforcers had seized around 227-kg explosives from members of several extremist outfits of the country in the last 18 months.

Of those, RAB seized 150-Kg, police 27-Kg and CID seized 50-Kg explosives. Around 67 cases were filed with the police stations and 169 were held in these connections.

Additional Deputy Commissioner of Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Sanwar Hossain told banglanews that members of extremist outfits collected the explosives showing fake letterheads of educational institutions to sellers and with the help of lab assistants and brokers.

The law enforcers do not have any clue about the amount of explosives that the extremist outfits possess, he added.

According to intelligence reports, there were over 300 warehouses and shops to sell chemicals that need to be monitored regularly.

Sanwar Hossain further said trade license, permissions from Department of Narcotics Control (DNC), Department of Explosives and home ministry were necessary for selling of explosives and flammables materials but most of the businessmen do not have those.

He added the sellers sometimes sold those to the extremist outfits without scrutinizing the letterheads properly.

President of Bangladesh Scientific Instrument Dealers’ Association (BSIDA) Moazzem Hossain Sazu told banglanews that businessmen were not selling explosives directly to the extremists.

“Some people are supplying the explosives to them after buying chemicals from the dealers and retailers for laboratories of the higher educational institutions,” he added.

BDST: 1431 HRS, JUN 30, 2015
SR/RR/SMS