In a major crackdown, the Bangladesh Army seized approximately 1,100 sharp weapons from several shops and warehouses in Dhaka’s New Market area on Saturday, August 9, 2025. Nine individuals involved in the sale and supply of these weapons were arrested during the operation.The details were disclosed during a press briefing on Saturday night at the Suhrawardy Medical College Army Camp by Lieutenant Colonel Nazim Uddin Ahmed, Commander of the “Daring Tigers” unit under the Army’s 46 Independent Infantry Brigade. He stated, “We received intelligence that these items (sharp weapons) were being secretly sold, supplied to terrorists, and even rented out from a specific location. In some cases, they were being delivered for free, including home delivery. Through various media reports, we learned that these items were being distributed to terrorists from somewhere in Dhaka.”
Lieutenant Colonel Nazim further elaborated, “Arrested suspects confessed that they were receiving these samurai weapons from a specific source. Following this, we initiated intelligence operations. Over the past few days, our agents conducted surveillance at various locations and confirmed where these sharp weapons were being stored. Based on this information, we conducted searches at three to four shops in New Market on Saturday and successfully recovered these weapons.”
He added, “We arrested nine individuals involved in this activity today. The main stockpile was found in three shops. For months, we have observed that terrorists predominantly use such locally-made weapons. Over the past three to four months, these have been stockpiled on a large scale and are appearing in the hands of various criminals and juvenile gangs.”
The seized weapons include samurai swords, machetes, Chinese axes, local axes, knives, and meat hammers. The arrested individuals are Rukunuzzaman, Rabbi, Roman, Ali Akbar, Sajid Hasan, Ali, Hridoy Mia, Nur Hossain, and Md Swapan. The recovered weapons will be handed over to the Detective Branch (DB) of the police for further investigation, and authorities are probing whether the shop owners have links to criminal networks.
Lieutenant Colonel Nazim urged the business community to stop selling sharp weapons like samurai swords and machetes, stating, “While some may collect them as souvenirs, in reality, these are being used by criminal groups and juvenile gangs, posing a threat to ordinary citizens.” He also called on the public to report any information about illegal weapons trade to the nearest army or police camp.
