1,500 held in 2 days

More than 1,500 people including many activists of Jamaat-e-Islami and BNP have been arrested in a special drive in different districts in the last two days.

Among them, 665 were arrested in 24 hours as of yesterday evening during the drive that the police headquarters in Dhaka ordered two days ago to maintain law and order, according to sources in the HQ.

Taskforces comprising members of police, Armed Police Battalion, Rapid Action Battalion, Border Guard Bangladesh and Coast Guard started the drive on Friday night and launched a crackdown in 16 districts as of yesterday evening to arrest suspected troublemakers, the sources added.

The drive is set to continue until further notice, said an official at the police HQ wishing not to be named.

As many as 164 people were arrested yesterday in Mymensingh, 17 in Chittagong metropolitan areas, 45 in Pirojpur, 43 in Feni, 50 in Satkhira, 22 in Meherpur, 21 in Joypurhat, seven in Chapainawabganj, two each in Bogra and Sherpur and one in Moulvibazar.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal at a programme at the city's Institution of Engineers yesterday said the drive is not meant to arrest Jamaat and BNP men.

He said it is a measure that they undertake at times, on the basis of intelligence reports, to prevent those who have been trying to destabilise the country through bomb blasts and murders.

Mufti Mahmud Khan, director of Rab's legal and media wing, said they have already directed all battalions across the country to strengthen vigilance to maintain law and order and foil any plans of subversive activities. 

The arrestees in in Mymensingh include Khandaker Masudul Alam, secretary of Jubo Dal district unit, as confirmed by Md Kamrul Islam, officer-in-charge of Kotwali police.

Masud is an accused in eight cases in connection with arms and explosives, arson and police assault, among others, the OC said.

The police said other arrestees are also accused in different cases filed with the respective police stations. They were produced before separate Mymensingh courts, which sent them to jail.

Around 300 members of a joint force conducted a special drive on different slum areas under Bakalia Police Station in Chittagong and arrested 17 people.

Additional Commissioner (crime and operation) Debdas Bhattacharia of CMP told The Daily Star that the special drive was started to arrest criminals in the country's present context and with a view to maintaining law and order.

In the last three days, around 50 people were arrested in Motijhorna, Agrabad and Halishahar areas, said the additional commissioner.

Among the 45 people arrested in Pirojpur, six are BNP men and eight Jamaat men, including Md Mofazzel Hossain, secretary of Nadmula union under Bhandaria upazila.

Md Motiar Rahman, organising secretary of Joypurhat district BNP, Lokman Hakim, Jamaat ameer, and Younus Ali, organising secretary of Mohammadabad union of Joypurhat Sadar, are among 21 BNP, Jamaat and Shibir men arrested in Joypurhat.

Jakiganj upazila vice-chairman and upazila Jamaat Secretary Gulam Rabbani Jabed was arrested yesterday during the drive.

Among the 50 people arrested in Satkhira, 37 belong to Jamaat-Shibir, while one is a BNP activist. The arrestees include Nayeb-e-Ameer of Kalaroa upazila unit Jamaat Abdul Matin Khan, Jamaat activist and No 6 Ward councillor of Satkhira municipality Shahidul Islam, and Jhaodanga union Jamaat president and Jamaat Rokan Anwarul Islam.

Those arrested in Feni include district Jamaat Assistant Secretary Mahmudul Hasan, Finance Secretary Shafiqul Islam and Assistant Finance Secretary Maksudur Rahman.

Rab Director General Benazir Ahmed has meanwhile said law-enforcement and intelligence agencies have been put on alert so that banned Islamist outfit Jama'atul Mujahidin Bangladesh (JMB) cannot regroup again in the northern districts.

Identified JMB men who are on bail are under intelligence watch, the DG said after holding a special law-enforcement meeting along with police, Rab, BGB and intelligence forces at the office of the superintendent of police in Pabna yesterday.

(Our district correspondents concerned have contributed to this report)