Joint drives to recover illegal firearms will begin from September 4, said home adviser lieutenant general (retired) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury.

The home ministry issued a press release in this regard on Sunday.

Earlier, the interim government suspended the licenses of firearms issued to civilians in the past 15 years.

A government notification, signed by Md Zahirul Haque, senior assistant secretary, Public Security Division, Ministry of Home Affairs, said that the firearms licenses issued to civilians between January 6, 2009 and August 5, 2024 were been suspended.

It directed the license holders to submit their ammunition and firearms to the concerned police station by September 3.

Besides, the police headquarters in a directive, issued on September 1, said that looted arms and ammunition of the police must be returned to police headquarters by September 3.