1400 more arrested in countrywide drives, nearly 4,500 arrested in 8 days

The law enforcement agencies arrested nearly another 1,400 people, including 641 in Dhaka, in its drives across the country from Tuesday night to Wednesday noon.

With the latest arrests, the number of detained has risen to nearly 4,500 between 17-24 July, said sources in the police force from city, districts and thana levels.

This arrest spree is going on due to the recent incidents of attacks, vandalism, clashes and arson centering the student agitation seeking a reform in the quota system in government jobs.

Many of the arrestees are leaders and activists of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami. In some places the arrests are being made in cases filed earlier.

BNP on Wednesday night said the police have arrested the party’s health affairs secretary Rafiqul Islam, treasurer Rashiduzzaman and former central vice-president of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) SM Jahangir.

The students and job seekers started their continuous movement seeking reforms in the job quotas from 1 July. The agitation moved across the country after the violence centering the demonstrations on Dhaka University campus on 15 July.

The incidents of attacks, clashes, violence, vandalism, arson and casualties started taking place in Dhaka and other parts of the country just after the next day.

Lawsuits have been lodged in connection with the incidents.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) sources said the police and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) started combing operations in Dhaka from Sunday night.

DMP’s media and public relations department deputy commissioner Md. Faruque Hossain on Wednesday told Prothom Alo that they arrested 641 from different areas in Dhaka Tuesday night. A total of 1,758 people have been arrested in Dhaka so far, he added.

Arrests have been made on the outskirts of the capital city as well.

The police sources said so far seven cases, including four new ones on Wednesday, have been filed in Savar so far and 39 arrested.

Four cases have been filed at the neighbouring Ashulia police station. Six persons have been arrested there. On Tuesday, a case was filed at Dhamrai police station. The number of arrests made by the forces of that police station is five.

Apart from this, the police arrested 11 leaders and activists of the BNP and Jamaat in Dohar and Nawabganj.

In Narayanganj, the law enforcement agency arrested 107 on charges of their involvement in violence and acts of sabotage. So far, 239 people have been arrested in nine lawsuits.

In Gazipur town, the police arrested 71 on Wednesday. Five new cases have been filed there. In  total, 312 people have been arrested in 28 cases as of Wednesday.

In Manikganj, police arrested eight people in 24 hours. This raised the number of arrested to 17 until yesterday. The number of arrested in Munshiganj is 60 with three new detention Wednesday.

A total of 20 were arrested in Madaripur, two in Rajbari and one in Faridpur yesterday. On the same day, police arrested 12 in Gopalganj and 24 in Shariatpur in old cases.

In Mymensingh 24 more were arrested yesterday, taking the total number of arrested to 122 in 14 cases.

12 more were arrested in Sherpur yesterday. With this, a total of 44 people were arrested in six cases in the district. A total of 82 were arrested in Kishoreganj, with 25 in four cases yesterday. 25 arrests were made in Tangail yesterday, taking the total number of arrested to 166. In Netrokona, a total of 20 were arrested with five yesterday.

Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP) sources said a fresh has been filed over vandalism in Bahaddarhat PWB, attempt to murder and setting a motorcycle afire. PWD filed the case with Chandgaon police station yesterday against unidentified 700 persons. With this, 16 cases were filed in CMP area. Meanwhile, Chattogram district police said a total of 11 cases were filed with different police stations of the district.

Yesterday, 103 were arrested in these 27 cases. With this, a total of 703 were arrested in Chattogram as of yesterday.

A total of 17 BNP leaders and activists were arrested in Lakkhipur on Tuesday night. The district saw arrests of 58 leaders and activists so far. However, district BNP’s member secretary Hasibur Rahman claimed that over a hundred BNP men were arrested in last four days.

In Noakhali, three leaders and activists of BNP and associate organisations were arrested on Tuesday night. Police said they were arrested in an old case.

Seven more leaders and activists of BNP and Jamaat have been arrested in 24 hours from Tuesday in Feni. 70 people have been arrested so far in two cases by the police in this district.

Five were arrested in Chandpur yesterday. With this, the number of persons arrested in the district reached 37. A total of 138 were arrested in seven cases so far with 23 arrested yesterday. Four were arrested in Brahmanbaria yesterday.

A total of 121 were arrested in 10 cases in Sylhet, with 14 more arrested yesterday. Habiganj saw arrests of 20 persons and Sunamganj one.

A total of 16 people were arrested in Barisal district and two were arrested in Bhola yesterday. Apart from this, the police arrested two in Patuakhali and one in Pirojpur. Two activists of Jamaat-e-Islami were arrested in Barguna in an old case.

Nine were arrested in Khulna yesterday. A total of 76 people were arrested in the district. Apart from this, one was arrested in Magura, 17 in Meherpur and 19 in Satkhira. A total of 17 were arrested till yesterday in old case in Jashore.

In yesterday, 37 were arrested in Rajshahi, 23 in Rangpur, 20 in Pabna, 19 in Sirajganj, 17 in Chapainawabganj, 15 in Joypurhat, nine in Gaibandha, five each in Kurigram and Lalmonirhat, four in Naogaon, three in Panchagarh, two each in Dinajpur and Nilphamari and one in Bogura.

(This story was prepared on inputs of Prothom Alo’s staff correspondents and correspondents)