9 arrested with huge quantity arms, ammunition in Cox's Bazar

In a joint operation by the Bangladesh Coast Guard and the Bangladesh Navy, nine active members of the notorious 'Zia Bahini' have been arrested in Maheshkhali of Cox's Bazar, along with a large quantity of arms, ammunition, and weapons-making materials. Lieutenant Commander Siam-ul-Haque, media officer of the coast guard headquarters, confirmed the information on Saturday night.

He said that based on intelligence reports, a group of armed terrorists had taken local residents hostage at gunpoint at the Kalarmarchhara area in Maheshkhali upazila and illegally occupied their salt fields and shrimp enclosures. When locals protested, the armed group allegedly threatened them and created panic in the area. After receiving complaints, the Bangladesh Coast Guard intensified intelligence surveillance in the region.

Following the information, a joint operation was launched at around 12 pm on Saturday at Samira Ghona, Mohammad Shah Ghona, Naya Para, and Tekpara areas under the union. During the operation, authorities seized one foreign-made pistol, eight locally made firearms, eight live grenades, fifteen rounds of live cartridges, two magazines, thirteen homemade weapons, and a large quantity of weapon-making materials. Nine active members of the Zia Bahini were arrested at the scene.

The detainees were identified as Mohammad Ali, 54, Manik, 27, Gias Uddin, 59, Salauddin, 27, Shahidullah, 52, Sabuj, 27, and Atikur Rahman, 32 - all residents of Kalarmarchhara Union; and Rizwan, 24, and Nadim Uddin, 35 - residents of Huank Union. Legal action is underway regarding the seized items and the arrested suspects.

Lieutenant Commander Siam-ul-Haque said that the Bangladesh Coast Guard will continue such operations in the future to eliminate terrorist activities in the region.