Operation Devil Hunt launched

The government has launched Operation Devil Hunt, a drive of the joint forces, to maintain law and order across the country following Friday night's attack on "students and common people" in Gazipur.

The home ministry made the decision at a meeting with law enforcement agencies yesterday, according to a press release signed by Faisal Hasan, director (public relations) of the Ministry of Home Affairs.

The joint forces are conducting the operation in Gazipur and areas concerned across the country "to bring the criminals to justice", said the release.

Details of the drive will be announced at a press conference today.

Ministry sources say, the officers will go after "the saboteurs who attacked the students, individuals against whom there are warrants and troublemakers" in order to lower the incidents of mob violence and to restore law and order.

Top officials of the agencies concerned will meet in the morning today to work out a coordinated plan for the operation, Shahjada Ashadujjaman, additional deputy inspector general (operations) at Police Headquarters, told The Daily Star.

The Police Headquarters have issued primary instructions to superintendents of police in different districts, he said, adding that more coordinated instructions would be given today.

In Gazipur, several individuals were seriously injured in Friday night's attack by "criminals with ties to the fallen dictatorship", said the home ministry release.

Yesterday evening, Gazipur Metropolitan Police Commissioner Nazmul Karim Khan said, "Operation Devil Hunt will be conducted to combat Awami fascism."

Sixteen people have been arrested in connection with the attack, he told reporters.

Chowdhury Zaber Sadeque SP Gazipur told The Daily Star last night that eight people had been arrested.

"A thorough search will be conducted [Saturday] night. Everyone involved will be brought under the law. A decision has already been made by the home ministry."

Last night, army vehicles patrolled different streets and highways in Gazipur.

The attack took place around 10:00pm on Friday, when a group of individuals gathered near the residence of former Liberation War affairs minister AKM Mozammel Haque in Gazipur.

Then somebody announced from a nearby mosque that robbers had attacked the house. Soon, a large group of locals arrived and assaulted the aforesaid individuals.

At least 15 people were injured.

Muhammad Nasir, brother of one of the injured, told Prothom Alo, "It was a set-up. Several July uprising leaders and activists were fooled into going to the house. They were locked in a room. They had been severely beaten and hacked with sharp weapons there."

The decision to launch the joint operation came hours after Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said the attackers would see "maximum punishment".

After visiting the injured at Dhaka Medical College Hospital around 10:15am, the home adviser said, "No one involved in the attack will be spared. We are taking legal action against them."

At a rally in Gazipur yesterday, leaders of Students Against Discrimination and Jatiya Nagorik Committee demanded the attackers be arrested within 24 hours.

"If those responsible for the attack on students in Gazipur are not arrested by tonight [Saturday], we will take a stand against the government and the police," said Sarjis Alam, central coordinator of the Students Against Discrimination.

The joint forces, comprising the armed forces, BGB, Coast Guards, Police, Rab, and Ansar, have been deployed across the country since September 4 to recover illegal firearms and maintain law and order. Yet, the law-and-order situation saw little improvement.

After the fall of the Hasina-led government on August 5 last year amid a mass uprising, mobs looted firearms and bullets from different police stations and establishments across the country.

In response, the government deployed the joint forces.

On September 17, the interim government gave the power of magistracy to commissioned army officers in order to improve law and order.

An officer with magistracy power has the power to arrest people and take them in custody. In self-defence and extreme need, the officer can open fire, according to the law.

Security measures at the Supreme Court were beefed up yesterday morning.

SC Public Relations Officer Shafiqul Islam said, "There is a statue of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on the Supreme Court premises. That's why the security has been beefed up as a precautionary measure."