Police asked to intensify raid, watch

Police might launch a door-to-door hunt for BNP-led alliance leaders and make more arrests following a home ministry order and recommendation by an intelligence agency.

The ministry has asked law enforcers to keep a close watch on opposition leaders engaged in planning and leading the anti-government agitations and make pre-emptive arrests before enforcement of any such programme. 

Police have also been directed to monitor phone calls of the alliance high-ups to know the opposition's strategy, ministry sources said.

The order was issued to the police headquarters yesterday in line with a National Security Intelligence (NSI) report that recommended intensifying patrol at the entry points of the capital and carrying out raids on houses of opposition men.

"We asked the police to take necessary measures in keeping with the NSI report," a senior official of the ministry told The Daily Star, wishing anonymity.

The order comes at a time when the BNP-led alliance reportedly considers intensifying the nationwide blockade that enters 22nd day today. The blockade violence already left 31 people dead, over a thousand people injured and 350 vehicles torched.

Law enforcers yesterday arrested 136 people believed to be BNP-Jamaat men in eight districts -- 24 in Chapainawabganj, nine Thakurgaon, three Moulvibazar, two Jhalakati, 11 Munshiganj, 44 Satkhira, 20 Bogra and 23 in Dhaka.

The intelligence report mentioned that 2,296 leaders of the 20-party alliance are leading the violent activities in the name of blockade. Of them, 1,599 are from the BNP, 695 from Jamaat, two from Islami Oikya Jote and one each from LDP, BJP, Jatiya Gonotantrik Party (Jagpa) and Khelafat-e Majlish.

Over two lakh leaders and activists of the 20-party combine are directly involved in the ongoing anti-government movement, and the alliance contemplates engaging another 70 to 80 thousand activists in their agitations in the capital, it said.

The report called for unity among leaders and activists of the ruling Awami League and its front organisations at grassroots to counter the opposition's agitation.

It warned that the opposition might launch attacks on government establishments as well as law enforcers and local administrations. Private factories, including garment units, are also on their list of targets.

The NSI urged the authorities to arrest the 20-party leaders facing several cases and think twice before giving bail to the opposition men now behind bars.

The agency also suggested tracking activities and phone conversations of Hefazat-e Islam members.