67 Jamaat, Shibir men detained
N'ganj district ameer among them
As many as 67 leaders and activists of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Chhatra Shibir have been arrested on charges of vandalism and attacking police in Narayanganj, Chittagong, Gaibandha and Rajshahi in the last two days.
In Narayanganj, police arrested 52 of them in an overnight drive.
The arrests were made after Sub-Inspector Atiar Rahman of Narayanganj Sadar Model Police Station filed two cases on Monday night on charges of attacking law enforcers and setting fire to a police van that day.
Among the arrestees were Jamaat district Ameer Maulana Mainuddin, its Finance Secretary Jubaid and Rupganj upazila unit Shibir President Mohammad Ali.
Narayanganj police yesterday closed Sub-Inspector Noor Mohammad of the same police station for negligence of duty during Monday's violence, said Sheikh Nazmul Alam, district superintendent of police.
Shibir activists vandalised at least five vehicles that day, leaving 10 people injured.
In Chittagong city, a court sent 13 Shibir activists to jail in connection with vandalism across the port city on Sunday.
Chittagong Metropolitan Magistrate Md Hasanul Islam passed the order yesterday when the arrestees were produced before the court, said court sources.
In Gaibandha, Police arrested Jamaat's District Organizing Secretary Nazrul Islam Lebu, also Jamaat-nominated candidate for Gaibandha-3 in the last three elections, yesterday morning at his Palashbari residence on charges of obstructing the work of the police.
In Rajshahi, law enforcers along with the Rajshahi University authorities raided the university's Shaheed Shamsuzzoha Hall yesterday evening and arrested masters student Anwar Hossain of the Arabic department.
The hall's Provost Dr Mostafa Sharif Anwar said they called the police after getting information about Shibir men planning to gather in the hall for a secret meeting.
Officer-in-Charge Sanaul Haque of Motihar Police Station said they arrested Anwar, suspecting that he was a Shibir activist. Police made the arrest after conducting an hour-long raid in the hall.