The law enforcements have started drives to arrest the people behind the severe violence that erupted across the country with numerous reports of sabotage, attacks, vandalism, arson, firing and subsequent casualties centering the quota reform movement over the last few days.
As of Monday morning, some 1,200 have been arrested, including BNP and Jamaat activists, in connection with the countrywide violence. Of them, 516 were arrested in drives conducted in different parts of the capital from 12:00 am to 6:00 am yesterday, Monday.
With that, the number of people detained across the country surpassed 2,000 in the last six days from 17to 22 July. The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP) and sources at 21 district police superintendent offices confirmed the figures. As per that, a total of 164 cases has been registered as of Monday - 71 with DMP, 14 in the CMP and 79 cases in other districts.
The arrestees are mostly BNP activists, resulting in a panic among the party activists in different areas since the drive began. Many of the BNP leaders and activists left their houses in fear of getting arrested.
Relevant sources say the DMP and the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) are jointly conducting a 'combing operation' from Saturday night to prevent violent activities in the capital. So far, some 749 persons have been arrested - 516 in the early hours of Monday and 233 a night before.
Speaking to Prothom Alo, DMP deputy commissioner (media and public relations), Mohammad Farukh Hossain said a combing operation is underway in search of people involved, the violence and sabotages. The persons arrested during the drive have been sent to prison through the court, he said.
Meanwhile, different RAB battalions arrested some 40 people in drives across the country yesterday. The number was 39 the previous day.
RAB law and media wing director Col Munim Ferdaus told Prothom the arrestees were involved in countrywide violence and sabotage attacks.
The police also went to BNP vice-chairman Abdul Awal Mintu's house in Gulshan during the drive at 11:30 pm Sunday. However, the BNP leader wasn't at home at the time. Besides, Jahir Uddin Swapan, member of BNP chairperson's advisory council, was arrested from a hospital in Gulshan on the same night.
Apart from them, North city BNP president Rabiul ALam was arrested from the Shantinagar area of the city Monday afternoon. Meanwhile, BNP chairperson advisor Aman Ullah Aman and 384 others were sent to prison on court order yesterday.
276 arrested in Narayanganj and Gazipur
Narayanganj superintendent of police (SP) Golam Mostafa said they arrested 110 people so far on the allegation of being involved in vandalism and arson.
Speaking to Prothom Alo, he said the quota protesters were leading the movement until Wednesday. However, the BNP-Jamaat activists intruded and reigned havoc in a number of areas. They carried out arson attacks, vandalism, and looting in a deliberate way. Works are underway to file cases over these incidents.
The police have filed 17 cases with eight police stations under the Gazipur Metropolitan Police (GMP). A total of 13,450 have been made accused in these cases. And 166 of them have been arrested so far, GMP sources confirmed.
Situation in other districts
Some 94 people have been arrested in 10 sabotage cases in Bogura as of yesterday. Of those, 30 were arrested in the 24 hours till 2:00 pm Monday.
Meanwhile, police arrested 17 BNP leaders and activists from the four upzilas in Faridpur at different times on Sunday, including city Swechchhasebak League joint convener Shibli Kazi.
In Brahmanbaria, police arrested 14 BNP-Jamaat leaders and activists in separate drives from Sunday night to Monday afternoon. Brahmanbaria SP Mohammad Shakhawat Hossain confirmed their arrest.
Some 91 people have been arrested in three cases filed on charge of sabotage and instigation. Confirming the matter Cumilla additional police super (ASP) Khandaker Ashfaquzzaman told Prothom Alo that all of the accused were sent to jail after they were produced before the court on Monday.
He further said, "The arrestees are BNP-Jamaat activists. No students have been arrested here."
Rajbari police arrested district Mahila Dal joint convener Sonia Akter in a case. Meanwhile, Dinajpur BNP general secretary Bakhtiar Ahmed and 30 others were arrested by the police. According to police sources, Bakhtiar was arrested late sunday night from an apartment in the city's Lalupara area.
Jaypurhat police arrested 24 in four separate cases in the last 24 hours. The number is 39 Tangail over the same period of time. They have been arrested in eight cases in total. With this, the arrestee-count reached 104.
Confirming the matter, Tangail ASP (DSB) Abdullah Al Mamun said all of them were sent to jail by the court on Monday.
Meanwhile, some 13 persons were arrested by the police in the last 24 hours in five cases in Barishal. So far some 33 persons have been arrested in the district. BMP police official in charge of media cell Benzir Ahmed confirmed this to Prothom Alo.
Apart from that, some 13 persons were arrested in the last 24 hours in Kishoreganj in three cases filed on the allegation of being involved in the clash with police. So far, 37 people have been arrested in the district.
In Mymensingh, police arrested 27 in the last 24 hours in five separate cases filed over clashes with police. Police sources say they all are affiliated with the BNP's politics.
Similarly, 15 BNP leaders and activists were arrested in Panchagarh over the last three days and 8 BNP-Jamaat activists, including Jamaat municipal unit secretary Md Ilias Hossain, were arrested in Feni on Sunday. The number was 20 and 23 on Friday and Saturday respectively in Feni.
Meanwhile, some 13 persons, all BNP activists, were arrested by the police in the last 24 hours in Lakshmipur.
In Chattogram city, police arrested 46 in the last 24 hours with the number of arrestees in the city reaching 222 in five days. Besides, the CMP also detained eight others in a case filed over vandalising government transport and nine Jamaat activists were arrested from the Satkania upazila of the district on Sunday and Monday.
Magura police arrested 35, including 30 BNP activists, in special police drives in the last four days.
Meanwhile, police registered three cases in total on allegations of sabotage and violence and some 49 people have been arrested so far in these cases, CMP commissioner Mozammel Haque confirmed.
Bogura Sadar police station sources informed a total of nine cases have been lodged over violence and vandalism in the last few days accusing 189 persons in total. Some 63 of the accused have been arrested as of Monday.
Confirming this, Sherpur police station officer-in-charge (OC) Rezaul Karim said some 27 people have been made accused in the cases filed over violence against police. Besides, many unnamed people have been made accused in the case. So far, 31 persons have been arrested in the district, including 15 on Friday.