Area-wise block raid underway

Law enforcement agencies are conducting combing operations across the country following the protests, clashes, vandalism and arson attacks centering the quota reform movement. Block raids are underway, dividing the capital into various areas.

According to sources related to operations, when such raids are conducted, large numbers of law enforcement agency personnel surround the area and take position on all the roads so that none can leave the area. They then search various houses and arrest the accused based on their intelligence information. They mainly call this a block raid.

Law enforcement agencies said they are arresting people involved in violence centering the movement. However, it has been learned that a large portion of the arrestees are leaders and activists of BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami and other parties who joined BNP’s simultaneous movement. Besides, people from different professions along with the students are also being arrested.

It has been learned after speaking to police officials involved in the operations they are conducting stringent operations where more violence occurred. Besides, they received instructions to maintain a stern position against the BNP-Jamaat leaders suspected as the instigators of violence, and these leaders are also being arrested.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police joint commissioner (crime) Liton Kumar Saha told Prothom Alo, “Our raids are underway in various areas of the capital to catch the saboteurs and it will continue till the people involved in each act of violence are identified.”

According to sources of police from various cities, districts and thanas, 555 cases have been filed over the last 10 days as of July 26, Friday. Twenty-two new cases were filed in Dhaka and eight more outside the capital, raising the tally of the lawsuits to 209 in Dhaka.

According to information received across the country, at least 6,264 people were arrested over the last 10 days between 17 July and July 26. Of them, 765 were including 207 in Dhaka arrested between Thursday night and Friday afternoon. At least 2,416 people were arrested in Dhaka over the period while many of them were shown arrested in old cases.

A joint operation was conducted in the capital’s Shahinbag area on Thursday night by enforcing a block raid. Locals and residents from nearby areas saw a helicopter flying over the area with many people panicking due the to light beaming down from the chopper.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Tejgaon division deputy commissioner HM Azimul Haque told Prothom Alo on Thursday, “We are conducting operations in various areas on alternate days, and the operation in Shahinbag on Thursday was a part of it.” He however was unaware of any helicopter flying over the area during the operation.

Block raid was also reportedly enforced in the capital’s Bashundhara area on Thursday night. Prior to the operation, police made a PA announcement instructing people not to stay outside after 5:00pm. The presence of law enforcement agency members increased after the evening. Video clips are also making rounds online showing police firing shots while people trying to record videos from above.

Speaking to Prothom Alo regarding this, DMP assistant commissioner in Badda Zone, Rajon Kumar Saha said, “We are conducting drives with the help of the army and BGB (Border Guard Bangladesh) to detain the saboteurs. Only the persons involved have been arrested.”

He claimed that there has been no such incident of opening fire due to people capturing videos of their operations.

Meanwhile, the BNP said yesterday that the “pro-government goons and law enforcement agencies jointly attacked the quota protesters” and now to cover up that leaders and activists of the opposition parties, including the BNP, and common people were being arrested arbitrarily in block raids.

The party also claimed the many have been subjected to torture in the custody of law enforcements instead of being produced before the court after their arrest.

Among the arrested central BNP leaders are – Nazrul Islam Khan, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Zahiruddin Swapan, Amanullah Aman, Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas, Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, Shahid Uddin Chowdhury, Rashiduzzaman Millat, Sultan Salahuddin, Rafiqul Islam, Aminul Haque, Nasiruddin Ahmed Asim and Nipun Chowdhury.

Besides, Jamaat-e-Islami leaders Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher, Mia Golam Parwar and Mobarak Hossain have been arrested so far. Apart from them, Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP) chairman Andaleeve Rahman Partho, Jatiya Dal chairman and 12-Party Alliance spokesperson Ehsanul Huda and dentist Shakhawat Hossain were arrested.

BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said around 3,000 BNP activists have been arrested so far. In a statement on Friday, Mirza Fakhrul said the law enforcement forces have jointly killed hundreds of innocent students and injured thousands of them by firing bullets, tear gas shells, rubber bullets and sound grenades. As a responsible political party, BNP had given moral support to the students' movement. Now party leaders and students are being arrested through block raids.

The police produced Gono Odhikar Parishad leader Nurul Haque after being questioned under remand for five days in a case filed on the allegations of vandalising the Shetu Bhaban and setting it on fire. The court sent him to jail. His lawyers told the court that their client was subjected to torture during remand. Later, Nurul Haque’s wife Maria Akter also claimed the same to the newspersons.

Speaking regarding the arrest drives and block raids, DMP deputy commissioner (media) Md Faruk Hossain told Prothom Alo, “The area wise block raids are being conducted on the basis of intelligence information and the analysis of video footage and CCTV footage of the incidents. The army and the members of the BGB are also with us as the aiding forces. The drive will continue until further notice.”

Referring to the helicopter patrol during the drives, he said the RAB helped us with helicopters during the drives.

There have been reports of at least 30 students being arrested in the cases filed over the violence centering the quota reform movement. They were arrested between 16 July to 23 July. The arrestees include two students of the International Islamic University Chattogram, one from the City College, 14 students from the Chattogram College and Hazi Muhammad Mohsin College and 13 students of Baistus Sharaf Adarsha Kamil Madrasah.

Although many of them were not among the accused, they were shown arrested on suspicion of being involved in violence. However, the police say the accused are being arrested on the basis of information they got from various sources and by analysing the video footage of the incidents.

However, the relatives of the students claim that they are being arrested despite not being involved in any sabotage attempt during the quota reform movement.

Apart from that, 68 more people were arrested in Chattogram on Thursday night in a total of 29 cases filed over clashes and killings during the quota reform movement.