Perspective

Ryad Karim

In recent times the illegal transfer and flow of small arms and light weapons and their accumulation as well as proliferation poses a real threat to our national security. Bangladesh is considered a transit point for trafficking the illegal arms. Its open-ended import and export laws, along with its extensive coastline and shared borders with many conflict-ridden areas, make it an ideal transshipment point for weaponry for this reason  Bangladesh experiences a tremendous amount of illegal smuggling of arms, explosives and ammunition. No doubt that South Asian region has now turned into a large illegal arms trading centre due to the conflict between India and Pakistan, as well as internal violence in Sri Lanka, Kashmir, Nepal, and Myanmar. Civilians are the largest category of gun owners in the South Asian region, accounting for far more weapons than the military, police and insurgents. Geographical location, poor border management failing to tackle different criminal syndicates and separatist groups have turned Bangladesh as one of the main transit routes for arms trafficking in South Asia.
It was not long before when the tools for criminal activities or other purposes were limited to indigenous weapons such as the dagger, and an air gun. Today, the varieties of arms available in Bangladesh are astounding. Although compared to other South Asian countries, the volume of sophisticated light weapons available in Bangladesh is still low, it will not take long before Bangladesh becomes a potential market for high-tech light weapons, as its air, sea and land routes are increasingly being used for such transshipment.
Bangladesh’s south and south-east regions, especially Chittagong, Khagrachhari, Bandarban, Sandwip, Haluaghat and emerging char islands are often used for transportation of illegal small arms, and it encourages the use of illegal small arms and violence across the country. Militants and insurgent outfits of neighboring countries have chosen the country’s south and south-eastern region as a transit route for arms smuggling business because Bangladesh government and its law enforcers are yet to be aware about these illegal business. The illegal arms in Bangladesh derive from a number of sources. Many were left over from the war of independence in 1971. Arms continue to be stolen from government stockpiles and from police stations. Some corrupt officials in our country even rent out their weapons. For this reason the crime rate and the number of firearms in Bangladesh have increased over the years. In Bangladesh, as indeed in the rest of the region, there is a symbiotic relationship between politics and small arms. Small arms have become the arbiter of differences and settling of political scores. Armed militant groups of various shades have easy access to these weapons. The arms race between mainstream political parties also provides a safe ground for the criminal activities. The party who has the biggest arsenal has the most power, and poor governance along with an ineffective police force do nothing to prevent the proliferation of weapons.
The poor governance has much to answer for the increased violence of our society and the endemic societal degradation. When a government fails to ensure fair play, when lack of empowerment stifles human growth, when needs and demands of various elements are overlooked, pockets of discontent begin to appear. They seek to redress the imbalance, perceived or real, by use of force, and weapons acts as an efficacious supplement. Media reports indicate that many people raise questions about arms suppliers in Bangladesh. But very few examine the demand side of the problem.
The social impact of the proliferation and misuse of small arms and explosives has always been undermined in this country. Factors like “self interest”, “power”, and “money” led relevant authorities to be blind and ignorant of the problem, while “fear” and “harassment” crippled the civil society. The combination of the two led to the unchallenged rise of armed cadres and their anti-social activities in Bangladesh. The easy availability of arms and the protection provided by “godfathers”, coupled with domestic economic factors (low per capita income, high unemployment rates, illiteracy, poverty, staggering economic growth, and overpopulation) are pushing more and more youths into the world of crime and terrorism. Children as young as 13 years of age are now the new breed of criminals in the country, according to a latest report.
As a result of all this insecurity Bangladesh has gradually become a “weaponised” society. People fear sudden outbreaks of armed violence and live in constant fear for their lives. Feelings of insecurity are increased by the perception that law enforcement agencies are unwilling to address communities’ concerns. The most non-violent persons in the country today also feel the need of possessing a weapon for themselves and their family’s security. Firearms are perceived to play a significant role in elections. Local criminal syndicates often assist candidates, while armed cadres manipulate the democratic process. Small arms are also prominent in student political violence. Business and investment suffer from extortion, gun-running, rent-seeking and tender-related crime. As a result, prices of essential goods have risen, relative poverty has increased, investment has dwindled and businesses are failing.
Small arms pose an acute threat to women and children, exacerbating their already vulnerable situation. While rape has become increasingly common, corruption and the prospect of abuser retaliation have prevented women from seeking justice. Firearms and explosives are a significant threat to the long and short term integrity of development. Armed violence, for example, has impeded progress towards the Millennium Development Goals. The availability of small arms and their use in the political process has led to the rapid development of a culture of violence.
One must take into consideration the larger picture: the global business of small arms and light weapons is one that is very profitable for the producing country as well as the intermediaries, which is why the scale and volume of arms production continues to increase every year in spite of the devastating effects of these arms. The interest groups are numerous starting from the manufacturing companies, the lobbyists in the government, the agents, the dealer, transnational organizations, insurgents, organized criminals, etc. It is almost impossible to identify and take action against those who are involved in the transactions. Even the intelligentsia plays a vital role in the transfer of arms to non-state actors of other countries.
Under these circumstances, we think that a greater awareness of the harmful impact of illegal arms on the social life needs to be monitored. This situation cannot continue. There has to be an awakening and an adoption of a “human security” perspective that focuses on the human costs of the widespread availability of small arms.
Thus, it is imperative to take all kinds of measures–having the potentials for success–to mop up the unauthorized firearms and smash the sources and supply routes through which these are smuggled into the country. Government should ensure the enhancement of border security and develop the capacity of law enforcement agencies to address SALW and IED proliferation; introduce practical measures to reduce violence in elections, such as introducing a code of conduct for political parties and launching a public awareness-raising campaign; and link human security to poverty reduction and socio-economic development.