Validity check of firearms stalls shooting federation committee formation

The National Sports Council's (NSC) search committee had proposed forming an ad-hoc committee for the Bangladesh Shooting Federation.

However, the committee has yet to be announced.

Sources indicate that the delay is primarily due to the ongoing verification of the legality of firearms held by individuals associated with the Shooting Federation.

Recently, Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan, the Youth and Sports Affairs Adviser, claimed, “Firearms from the Shooting Federation were also used to suppress the mass uprising.”

When asked about the delay in forming the ad-hoc committee, NSC Secretary Md. Aminul Islam (NDC) told the reporter that the search committee has so far proposed 28 ad-hoc committees, all of which have been announced except for the one for the Shooting Federation. The delay is because the legality of all firearms under the federation is still being reviewed. The new committee will be announced once this verification is complete.

Regarding the delay, Aminul Islam said, “There are multiple factors involved—firearms licensing, import regulations, numerous legal issues. The Ministry of Home Affairs is involved, as are several other agencies. We are verifying everything through the appropriate authorities. Once we get the results, we will issue a formal notice.”

According to sources, the NSC has sent letters to the Ministry of Home Affairs and the district administrations to verify the legality of the firearms. As firearm licenses are issued by the district commissioners and the Ministry of Home Affairs, the committee will only be announced after all necessary information is collected and verified. However, no one could specify exactly when the committee will be formed.

The Sports Adviser also said recently, “Ammunition and firearms from various parts of the Shooting Federation were used in the July mass uprising with the support of some federation officials. Given this context, we are proceeding with caution in reorganizing the committees. We are urging the search committee to proceed so that we can revive the spirit of sports. Based on time and overall circumstances, we will consult with the search committee and decide on the next steps.”

The Ministry of Youth and Sports had set a deadline of April 20 for the search committee to submit proposals for ad-hoc committees for all remaining federations and associations. However, the task couldn’t be completed in time, prompting the government to extend the deadline for the search committee.