Law enforcers arrested 5,324 people including 85 militancy suspects till 6:00am on Sunday in a weeklong ‘anti-militant’ special drive across the country that began Friday morning.
Of them, 2,132 including 48 militancy suspects were arrested in 24 hours till Sunday morning. Earlier, 3,192 people including 37 militancy suspects were arrested in districts and the capital in 24 hours between 6:00am on Friday to 6:00am on Saturday.
A good number of activists of opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami were amongst the people arrested, according to New Age correspondents in districts and news agencies.
BNP alleged that the law enforcers were mainly arresting general people and opposition activists in the drive having failed to track down militancy suspects.
Most of the arrested were accused in different cases like violence, arson attack, drug peddling, police officials claimed.
Of the 48 militancy suspects arrested on Sunday, 47 were members of the banned Islamist outfit Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh and one was of Ansarullah Bangla Team, said a police headquarters release.
Of the rest 2,084 arrested, 1,496 were wanted in criminal cases, 391 were held with illegal drugs, 156 were arrested in regular cases and 41 were held with illegal firearms, said the release.
The law enforcers also seized two guns, 500 grams of gunpowder, seven crude bombs and ‘huge jihadi books,’ the release said.
In the wake of the recent spate of targeted killings of people, including superintendent of police Babul Akter’s wife on June 5, the police launched the countrywide special drive against ‘militants’ on Friday.
In Barisal, 148 people were arrested in six districts of Barisal division from Saturday noon to Sunday noon under the special drive.
Of the 148 arrested, 14 were Jamaat activists and one was a JMB suspect.
Barisal district police superintendent SM Akhtaruzzaman said that 23 people were arrested in 10 upazilas of the district in the past 24 hours till Sunday noon as per direction of the police headquarters.
Barisal Metropolitan Police spokesperson assistant commissioner (crime) Abu Sayeed said that 29 people were arrested under four police stations in the city from Saturday noon to Sunday noon.
Besides, police arrested 44 people in Barguna, 9 in Pirojpur, 21 in Jhalakati, 21 in Patuakhali and 1 in Bhola during the same period, said the offices of the superintendents of police in the districts.
Barisal range deputy inspector general of police Humayun Kabir said that most of the arrested were not militants as militancy was yet to be expanded in Barisal division. All of the arrested were sent to jail after they were produced before courts on Sunday afternoon, police informed.
In Sirajganj, assistant superintendent of police Mohammad Yousuf Ali said that police arrested 44 people including five Jamaat activists in 24 hours until Sunday morning. All of the arrested were sent to jail after they were produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate’s Court.
In Gazipur, with fresh arrest of 86 people on Sunday, the number of arrested in the special drive reached at 241, said superintendent of police AS Harun Or Rashid.
In Feni, police arrested 19 local leaders and activists of Jamaat and its student body Islami Chhatra Shibir Shibir between Saturday evening and Sunday morning. Assistant superintendent of police Shamsul Alam said that the arrested people included fugitives and accused in different cases.
In Bogra, 86 people including six militancy suspects and eight Jamaat and Shibir leaders were arrested in the district.
In Tangail, additional superintendent of police Aslam Khan said that on the third day of the special drive they arrested 68 people.
Officer in charge of Mirzapur police station Md Mainuddin said that they arrested listed fugitive JMB activist Akramul Islam, 26, of Adabari village of the upazila early Sunday. He is accused in two arms cases filed with Sabujbagh police station and one arms case filed with New Market police station in Dhaka, Mainuddin said.
Special Branch of Cox’s Bazar officer-in-charge Kazi Mohammad Didarul Alam said that police arrested 53 people, including 19 at Cox’s Bazar sadar, 8 at Chakaria, 6 at Maheskhali, 4 at Kutubdia, 4 at Ramu, 4 at Ukhiya, 3 at Teknaf and 5 at Pekuya police station.
In Chapainawabganj, police arrested 44 people including a JMB suspect, two Jamaat activists and a Shibir activist between Saturday evening and Sunday morning.
The JMB suspect is Shahin, 26, of Shamsuddin Mondoler Tola village of Chapainawabganj sadar upazila, was arrested at his house around midnight past Saturday, said Chapainawabganj sadar police station officer-in-charge Mazharul Islam.
Source: New Age