Sagar Biswas :
More than 8,000 people have so far been arrested in three last consecutive days following a nationwide crackdown on militants launched after a series of murders targeting innocent people, secular activists and minorities.
Although the police headquarters claimed that the arrests have been made under specific cases of arrest warrants during the ongoing special drive, there are widespread allegations that most of the arrested were ordinary criminals with no existing warrants. Some of them were also picked up under Section-54 of Criminal Procedure Code [CrPC].
Not only that, some people have alleged that police started ‘arrest business’ centering the on going crackdown where a number of people were released after taking a fat amount of money from the family members or relatives. A section of dishonest police officials are using the special drive for their personal gain, it is further alleged.
“Of the arrestees, the number of Islamist militants is fewer. Most of the arrestees either have warrant of arrests or they are charged with criminal offences, such as drugs and arms,” Deputy Inspector General of Police AKM Shahidur Rahman said.
The opposition political parties, especially Bangladesh Nationalist Party [BNP], have accused police of using the crackdown to suppress political dissent. BNP yesterday claimed that more than 2000 activists of the party have been nabbed in the meantime.
DIG AKM Shahidur Rahman, however, outright rejected the allegation, saying that police were not running any arrest business. “The Police Headquarters are closely monitoring the drive. Most of them were arrested in regular cases. They were also sent to court,” he said.
The government launched the drive on Friday (June 10) being pressured by the international community to end the attacks, which have left nearly 50 people, including
26 minorities, dead over the last one and a half years. The special drive will continue for a week.
Of the total arrestees, 119 have been identified as militants affiliated with different banned Islamist outfits. In the last 24 hours ended at 2:00pm on Monday, the police arrested 3,245 persons, including 34 Islamist militants, conducting raids in different parts of the country.
Out of 34 Islamist militants arrested in the latest sweep, 25 were identified as members of banned militant outfit Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh [JMB], three Hizb-ut-Tahrir [HuT], three from Ansar -al Islam and three others were Allar Dal, the police headquarters sources said.
JMB is one of two homegrown militant outfits blamed for most of the recent murders. Another one is known as Anarullah Bangla Team [ABT]. Police yesterday netted one more operative of banned outfit of HuT named Omar Faruq from north-western district of Chapainawabganj during the drive.
Security analyst and former election commissioner Brigadier General [retd] Sakhawat Hossain differed with the claim of police. “Such types of operations were conducted in the previous years. But there is a question about their success. The militants can flee away, if operation is conducted after an announcement.”
“There were allegations against police about harassing ordinary people in the past. The allegations are still the same. The operation must be a specific objective of this drive, he said. Police seized anti-government leaflets, pistol and gunpowder from Faruk’s possession.
He was arrested earlier in 2012 and went out on bail. Then he started trying to re-organise the activities of the HuT.
“About 3,245 suspects had been arrested in the last 24 hours, raising the total number to 8,192 since the campaign began on Friday,” spokesman of police headquarters Md Kamrul Ahsan said yesterday.
Police recovered 13 firearms, seven magazines, eight machetes, 33 rounds of bullet, two petrol bombs, 31 cocktails and 28 extremist books in last 24 hours. Besides, the police seized 586 motorcycles during the aforesaid period.
More than 8,000 people have so far been arrested in three last consecutive days following a nationwide crackdown on militants launched after a series of murders targeting innocent people, secular activists and minorities.
Although the police headquarters claimed that the arrests have been made under specific cases of arrest warrants during the ongoing special drive, there are widespread allegations that most of the arrested were ordinary criminals with no existing warrants. Some of them were also picked up under Section-54 of Criminal Procedure Code [CrPC].
Not only that, some people have alleged that police started ‘arrest business’ centering the on going crackdown where a number of people were released after taking a fat amount of money from the family members or relatives. A section of dishonest police officials are using the special drive for their personal gain, it is further alleged.
“Of the arrestees, the number of Islamist militants is fewer. Most of the arrestees either have warrant of arrests or they are charged with criminal offences, such as drugs and arms,” Deputy Inspector General of Police AKM Shahidur Rahman said.
The opposition political parties, especially Bangladesh Nationalist Party [BNP], have accused police of using the crackdown to suppress political dissent. BNP yesterday claimed that more than 2000 activists of the party have been nabbed in the meantime.
DIG AKM Shahidur Rahman, however, outright rejected the allegation, saying that police were not running any arrest business. “The Police Headquarters are closely monitoring the drive. Most of them were arrested in regular cases. They were also sent to court,” he said.
The government launched the drive on Friday (June 10) being pressured by the international community to end the attacks, which have left nearly 50 people, including
26 minorities, dead over the last one and a half years. The special drive will continue for a week.
Of the total arrestees, 119 have been identified as militants affiliated with different banned Islamist outfits. In the last 24 hours ended at 2:00pm on Monday, the police arrested 3,245 persons, including 34 Islamist militants, conducting raids in different parts of the country.
Out of 34 Islamist militants arrested in the latest sweep, 25 were identified as members of banned militant outfit Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh [JMB], three Hizb-ut-Tahrir [HuT], three from Ansar -al Islam and three others were Allar Dal, the police headquarters sources said.
JMB is one of two homegrown militant outfits blamed for most of the recent murders. Another one is known as Anarullah Bangla Team [ABT]. Police yesterday netted one more operative of banned outfit of HuT named Omar Faruq from north-western district of Chapainawabganj during the drive.
Security analyst and former election commissioner Brigadier General [retd] Sakhawat Hossain differed with the claim of police. “Such types of operations were conducted in the previous years. But there is a question about their success. The militants can flee away, if operation is conducted after an announcement.”
“There were allegations against police about harassing ordinary people in the past. The allegations are still the same. The operation must be a specific objective of this drive, he said. Police seized anti-government leaflets, pistol and gunpowder from Faruk’s possession.
He was arrested earlier in 2012 and went out on bail. Then he started trying to re-organise the activities of the HuT.
“About 3,245 suspects had been arrested in the last 24 hours, raising the total number to 8,192 since the campaign began on Friday,” spokesman of police headquarters Md Kamrul Ahsan said yesterday.
Police recovered 13 firearms, seven magazines, eight machetes, 33 rounds of bullet, two petrol bombs, 31 cocktails and 28 extremist books in last 24 hours. Besides, the police seized 586 motorcycles during the aforesaid period.
