Home Affairs Adviser Lieutenant General (Retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury has expressed concern over a sudden surge of self-proclaimed "friends" and "relatives" emerging since he assumed office, warning that he will take action if anyone uses his name for extortion or illegal activities.

Speaking at a press briefing after the Core Committee on Law and Order meeting at the Ministry of Home Affairs on Monday, General Jahangir said, “After I took office, so many ‘friends’ and ‘relatives’ have come out of nowhere. I want to make it clear: if anyone is involved in extortion or misconduct using my name, please inform us immediately.”

He urged the media to report any instance of corruption involving advisers or officials, but also appealed for responsible journalism. “If any adviser is involved in corruption, publish the news. But please do not spread false or misleading information.”

In a bid to strengthen security ahead of the upcoming elections, the adviser announced a revised reward scheme for information leading to the recovery of weapons looted during the July-August mass uprising.

Under the new scheme, a reward of Tk 50,000 will be given for information leading to the recovery of a looted pistol or shotgun, Tk 100,000 for a Chinese rifle, Tk 150,000 for an SMG (Submachine Gun), Tk 500,000 for an LMG (Light Machine Gun), and Tk 500 for each round of recovered ammunition.

The adviser assured that the identity of any informant would remain strictly confidential. “We are determined to recover as many looted weapons as possible before the elections to ensure a safe and peaceful environment,” he said.