This resulted in over a hundred fatalities. These advanced lethal weapons can accurately fire 30-40 rounds per minute and are primarily used in combat situations.
The handover of such lethal weapons to the police began after the 10th national parliamentary elections 2014. Following the Awami League government's return to power for a second term, various combat-grade weapons, including the 7.62mm Chinese rifle, SMGs, LMGs, BD-8 assault rifles, and Taurus 9mm pistols, were incorporated into the police force under the guise of modernization.
A decision to hand over such weapons to the police was made on October 26, 2014. At that time, the Additional Secretary (Police) of the Ministry of Home Affairs. During a meeting he chaired, then-Additional Inspector General (AIG) Mohammad Harun Ur Rashid represented the police. This police official highlighted the necessity for advanced lethal weapons within the force, stating, "Due to the geographical conditions of both the hilly and plain regions of the country, there is a need for various models and calibers of weapons for the police."
Additional Secretary approved his proposal and oversaw the procuring and distributing of these weapons, bypassing the usual protocols.
According to relevant sources from the Ministry of Home Affairs, no opinions were sought from stakeholders or any related parties before deciding to hand over such lethal weapons to police force members. The procurement process was implemented quickly, disregarding the standard procedures followed in other government purchases. In 2015, the first batch of advanced weapons and ammunition was imported from Italy, and subsequently, more advanced lethal weapons and ammunition were brought in from various countries. Additional Secretary expedited the entire process.
2019, he was promoted to secretary at the Ministry of Home Affairs. He later served as Secretary and Senior Secretary at the Ministry of Youth and Sports and Senior Secretary at the Department of Public Safety at the Ministry of Home Affairs. He retired from government service in October 2022. Subsequently, in February 2023, he was appointed the Chief Coordinator for SDGs at the Prime Minister's Office for the next two years. Efforts to contact him regarding the issue of handing over such lethal weapons to the police were unsuccessful.
According to a relevant source, the initial intention behind equipping the police with these weapons was to address the needs of various forces, including the Special Security and Protection Battalion, PBI, Naval Police, Tourist Police, SWAT, and the Intelligence Department, under the leadership of Additional Secretary . However, at one point, their use began to target dissent and unarmed individuals. Notably, there was a significant push to collect these weapons at the police headquarters just before and after the elections in 2014.
Weapons experts and law enforcement officials have confirmed that the police and RAB use 7.62mm bullets in Chinese Type 56 semi-automatic rifles. The police headquarters recently called for tenders to procure 7.62mm sniper rifles just before the student protests in March. On March 24, tenders were requested from manufacturers and suppliers for 50 of these weapons. Before this, in March 2023, 30 7.62mm sniper rifles were acquired through an open tender. It has been reported that these weapons were primarily collected to suppress opposition movements in the lead-up to elections.
In September 2019, covers for the 7.62mm sniper rifles held by the police were procured through another tender. Additionally, another tender in that month mentioned the acquisition of 15,000 semi-automatic 7.62mm rifles. Other security forces, apart from the police, also possess these Type 56 semi-automatic rifles.
During the anti-discrimination student movement, these combat-grade lethal weapons were used extensively by the police against students and the public. According to information from the case documents related to attacks during the movement, various law enforcement agencies deployed in areas such as Jatrabari, Mohammadpur, Mirpur, Uttara, Kadamtali, Rampura, Dhanmondi, and Chattogram's Chandgaon fired 17,029 rounds of ammunition from particular purpose automatic shotguns (SPARs), 7.62mm Chinese rifles, SMGs, LMGs, BD-8 assault rifles, Taurus 9mm pistols, and 9.19mm CJ pistols from July 18 to 21. Moreover, 16 powerful grenades were also launched.
Using these lethal weapons, a total of 1,563 rounds were fired in Jatrabari, 298 rounds in Mohammadpur, and 2,984 rounds of lead bullets, along with 390 rounds in Uttara, 337 in Dhanmondi, and 43 rounds in Shahbagh. In most of the cases filed by the police regarding fatalities, it has been stated that deaths occurred due to indiscriminate firing by "terrorists" or "criminals" during the protests and that the police fired in self-defense to protect lives and property. However, the areas where the most lethal firearms were used include Jatrabari, Mohammadpur, and Uttara.
According to various sources, over 1,500 people lost their lives due to gunfire during the protests in July and August, with more than 30,000 injured. Police records also indicate that from July 18 to 21, law enforcement agencies such as the police, RAB, and BGB employed a significant amount of lethal weaponry in at least four locations in Dhaka. In most cases, the firing was targeted at specific individuals.
Human rights activists view the use of military-grade weapons against unarmed individuals as a crime against humanity. Human rights activist Nur Khan Liton told the Bonik Barta, “I find no justification for using such weapons to disperse public gatherings. The use of military-grade weapons solely for breaking up a public assembly is a despicable act. The bullets from the 7.62mm rifles were also used to suppress the student movement. When weapons and ammunition designed for combat are used, it must be seen as a cruel act by an authoritarian regime against unarmed people. These weapons have been in use for several years, but their excessive use occurred from the last week of July to August 5. Such incidents have put the police face-to-face with the public, and many lives have been lost due to the application of military weapons, which falls under the category of crimes against humanity.”
Former police officials also assert that the use of military-grade weapons against unarmed individuals by law enforcement is entirely unlawful. Former Inspector General of Police Nur Mohammad told the Bonik Barta, “Under no circumstances should military weapons be used against unarmed people. There are established protocols for using weapons to disperse public gatherings. For example, one should first use loudspeakers and then use mild baton charges. If that doesn’t work, blank shots can be fired first. Shots should only be aimed at the legs if the situation is out of control. However, during the student movement here, live ammunition was fired at unarmed people without any warning, resulting in numerous fatalities.”
Multiple police officers who were on the ground during the anti-discrimination movement reported that in late July, the then DIG (Operations) Anwar Hossain instructed them to fire accurately at the protesters using their Chinese rifles. He gave the same directive again on August 4. Finally, on August 5, the then Additional DIG (Operations) Proloy Kumar Joarder also instructed field officers via radio to aim and fire at the protesters. Even after the then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled in the face of public protests, Proloy Kumar Joarder directed the use of these lethal weapons.
When asked about this, the AIG (Media and PR) of the police headquarters, Inamul Haque Sagar, told the Bonik Barta, “There are policies and certain steps for the use of weapons that must be followed. There are also guidelines for the use of force. The incident of fatalities occurred because the recognized policies for the use of force during the anti-discrimination student movement were not properly followed.”
Before the introduction of these advanced lethal weapons, the police had relied on .303 rifles for nearly 80 years. During the protests, the primary effectiveness of this weapon was mainly due to its noise. At that time, the police's main strategy for self-defense was to fire blank shots from the .303 to create a loud sound.
A retired police officer shared his experience, stating, “At one time, the most effective weapon for the police was the Lee-Enfield or .303 rifle. In an incident in Bagmara, Rajshahi, an angry crowd surrounded several police officers. When shots were fired into the air from this rifle, the sound of four consecutive firings dispersed the crowd and freed the police.
In another incident, the .303 saved our lives. When we went to a turbulent area in Noakhali over a land dispute, the crowd surrounded us and started throwing stones from the railway tracks. A stone knocked down one constable. In that critical moment, the .303 became our savior. The mere sound of the .303 instilled fear in the angry crowd.”