Over 12,700 arrested in eight days

Police have arrested more than 12,700 people across the country over the past eight days.

Of them, over 7,900 were arrested in connection with regular cases and warrants, while around 4,700 were held in other cases, according to data provided by the Police Headquarters until yesterday.

Many of the arrestees are leaders and activists of the Awami League and its affiliated organisations. They were picked up following flash processions in different parts of the country, according to police and media reports.

Enamul Haque Sagor, assistant inspector general (media) at the Police Headquarters, told The Daily Star that the number of arrests has increased in recent days as multiple special drives are underway. Arrests are also being made in regular cases and based on warrants, he added.

Asked about the arrests following the AL processions, he said those trying to destabilise the country and violating laws were being brought to book.

This newspaper has obtained a list of arrests made during special drives on April 23, sent by Rangpur Metropolitan Police to the Police Headquarters. The first column on the list is titled "arrest of instigators/planners/associates of destabilisation", while the other columns pertain to drives against illegal arms, smuggling, robbery and mugging, and extortion.

The law enforcers have stepped up their drives after Home Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury last week ordered them to prevent the AL from bringing out processions, warning that officers who would fail to stop such gatherings would face disciplinary action.

Lately, the AL and its affiliated bodies, including the banned Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), held flash processions in various parts of the country, including Dhaka, Khulna, Kishoreganj, Jashore, Shariatpur, Narayanganj, Cumilla, and Barishal, according to media reports.

In Dhaka, processions were reported in Jatrabari, Shahbagh, Rampura, Demra, and Mirpur. Photos and videos of the processions have also been circulating on social media.

In response, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) recently issued a statement urging city dwellers not to panic over the processions.

The DMP said the banned BCL and like-minded groups watch police movements and march for a minute or two before dispersing. They would then post photos and videos of the processions on social media. "Law enforcers were analysing photos and videos to identify the participants," the DMP said.

In the last nine days, the DMP and its Detective Branch arrested at least 74 leaders and activists of the AL and its associate bodies, according to the DMP.

The DB yesterday arrested eight members of the AL and its affiliated organisations, including BCL, from different areas of the capital for their alleged involvement in organising flash processions.

DMP spokesperson Talebur Rahman said the arrestees are accused in several cases filed with different police stations. "They were involved in attempts to destabilise the country. By organising flash processions in various parts of the city, they aimed to spread panic among the public," he said.

During a visit to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court premises in Dhaka on April 21, these correspondents found some relatives of AL and BCL leaders and activists waiting there.

One of them, Bhuiyan Rafiqul Islam, told this newspaper that his son-in-law was involved with BCL in the Khilkhet area. Police arrested him, alleging he took part in flash processions near the airport. Rafiqul refuted the allegation that his son-in-law was involved in a procession.

Apart from Dhaka, the drives against AL leaders and activists are also underway in other parts of the country.

Following several flash processions in Khulna on April 20, Khulna Metropolitan Police (KMP) has so far arrested 50 AL men over the past one week. The KMP said the drives would continue.

Meanwhile, the number of inmates at Dhaka Central Jail stood at 8,179 yesterday, said Suraiya Akter, senior jail superintendent.

Asked whether the number of political inmates was on the rise, she said it had increased slightly in recent days. Some inmates are being transferred to Kashimpur Central Jail, while others are being released on bail, she added.

Chattogram Jail's Senior Jail Superintendent Iqbal Hossain also said the number of inmates had slightly increased, though he could not provide specific figures.

Chapainawabganj District Jail Superintendent Amzad Hossain said there were 620 inmates at the jail yesterday, up from 580 on April 7.

On February 8, the government launched Operation Devil Hunt, in which around 12,500 people were arrested till March 1, according to official data. Most detainees were AL leaders and activists, media reports said.

Following criticism over the operation's name, alleged arbitrary arrests, and rising crimes, police stopped releasing information about the operation, and the crackdown on AL activists slowed down.