Brahmanbaria mayhem: 60 people arrested

Police have arrested 60 people including the leaders and activists of Hefazat-e-Islam in connection with the mayhem in Brahmanbaria unleashed on 26 and 28 March centering the visit of Indian prime minister Narendra Modi.

The police have arrested them on Monday conducting a special drive. Among the arrestees, 16 are important figures of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and Hefazat-e-Islam.

They are -- Safiullah Mia, 40, member of Nabinagar upazila BNP; Kamrul Hasan, 28, former convener of Brahmanbaria sadar upazila unit Jatiyatabadi Chhattra Dal (JCD), student wing of BNP; Md. Polash, 26, from Bonikpara area and a member of JCD and Jamaat activist Liakat Ali, 35, a resident of Madhyapara in the city.

The law enforcement agency has arrested 168 people so far in connection with the attack, arson and vandalism conducted at different vital public offices in Brahmanbaria at the final week of last month. Of them, 128 accused are Hefazat men with 37 from the BNP and three from Jamaat-e-Islami.

More than 38,000 people have been made accused in 49 lawsuits filed over the mayhem in Brahmanbaria. Police have mentioned names of 288 accused in the case statements while the rest remains as unnamed.

Additional police super (crime and administration) Md. Rois Uddin told Prothom Alo that 60 people have been arrested in the last 24 hours in a special drive.