Bangladesh Development Partnership Center (BDPC) revealed this at a press conference held in the Jatiya Press Club yesterday.

The BDPC also announced its one-month countrywide campaign programme against illicit use and trade of small firearms. The programme will mark the upcoming United Nations biennial conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All its Aspects to be held at the UN headquarters on July 11-15.

Besides using the arms against political rivals, the cadres and criminals also use them in tender snatching, extortion, mugging, robbery, abduction and other crimes, said BDPC Director Sharif A Kafi.

At least 124 syndicates, which were estimated 80 in 2000, operate criminal activities across the country, said the BDPC and other NGOs including Nari o Manobadhikar Foundation (NAMAF) and Bangladesh Coalition for Child Rights (BCCR).

Moreover, three to four local armed groups, who keep regular contact with the main syndicates, are active in every district town and upazila headquarters.

"These crime syndicates don't have any political goal. They involve themselves with the political parties to use their power in favour of criminal activities," said Shairf.

He urged the government to ratify the UN firearms protocol, which is an agreement among the countries to check production, export, import and transit of the firearms.

The BDPC programmes ahead of the UN conference started yesterday and will continue until July 3.

They include sending letters through the high commissioners in Dhaka to the heads of state of South Asia, submitting memorandum to the prime minister, speaker, law, home and foreign ministers and holding rallies and human chains across the country.

Among others, Lina Jambil, member secretary, NAMAF, and Nadira Islam, member, BCCR, attended the conference.