Joynal Abedin Khan :
Over 1,300 people, including leaders and activists of BNP-Jamaat, were arrested from different places of the country on Thursday during BNP-led 20-Party alliance’s blockade and hartal programmes.
Besides, the law enforcers in a special crackdown also detained at least 9,000 people accused in several cases with different police stations in the last four days considering the country’s law and order situation, police sources said.
The drive will continue until the further instruction from the government as the country is experiencing subversive activities since January 5 this year, according to Police Headquarter sources.
The Home Ministry has directed the law enforcement agencies to take tough action against the miscreants, who are trying to deteriorate the law and order situation by engaging in violence across the country, the sources said.
According to Dhaka Metropolitan Police, at least 30 people were killed in several incidents of violence while 330 others, including 91 policemen, injured in the last 17 days. The opposition parties are trying to conduct subversive activities by enforcing hartals and blockades in the name of anti-government movement, they said.
Meanwhile, a press note issued by the Home Ministry said that the main opposition BNP is using the “unruly” Jamaat-Shibir activists to launch such violent attacks on the people to create panic among them.
“The Superintendents of Police (SPs) in the all districts have been given special instruction from the Police Headquarter to nab the culprits, who have even a little connection to the cocktails explosion during the blockade and hartal programmes. A special cell has been launched in the Police Headquarter to monitor the special crackdown drive across the country,” said a high official of the Police Headquarter.
“Police follow the zero tolerance against the picketers and bomb throwers on vehicles and establishments,” said Mokhlesur Rahman, Additional Inspector General of Police (AIGP). Hartal and blockade programmes of the opposition parties have become ineffective, as law enforcers have taken immediate action against instigators, he said.
Village police, public representatives and political leaders and activists will also be engaged in stopping violent activities, said Kartik Chandra Roy, Sub-Inspector of Jaldhaka Police Station in Nilphamari. In the capital, at least 167 people, including BNP-Jamaat leaders and activists, were arrested in the capital on Thursday. In Rajshai, Police arrested at least 76 people, including 23 Jamaat-Shibir activists in the district on Thursday.
At least 14 people, including Jamaat’s district Vice-President, were arrested in Bogra on Thursday.
In Rangpur, at least 145 BNP-Jamaat men were arrested from different parts of the district in the last two days.
In Gaibanda, at least 83 people, including BNP-Jamaat leaders and activists were arrested in district on Thursday.
Police also arrested at least 97 people in Nilphamari district on Thursday.
On the other hand, at least 54 people were arrested in Kushtia district on Thursday.
In Satkhitra, police arrested 95 people, including 57 Jamaat-Shibir activists, on Thursday night.
In Narail, at least 54 people were held in the district on Thursday. Meanwhile, Police arrested at least 57 people in Noakhali district on Thursday. In Gazipur, police arrested 75 people, including 22 Jamaat-Shibir activists, in the district on Thursday night.
In Comilla, police arrested 74 people, including 22 Jamaat-Shibir activists, in the district on Thursday.
