Law enforcers are allegedly harassing innocent people across the country during their hunt against troublemakers. They are also picking up “innocent” family members of Opposition political activists. This charge has been made by common people in different areas of the country.
However, law enforcement agencies have denied the allegations. They claimed that they were careful to see that no innocent person is victimised during their operations.
According to sources in the prison directorate, there are around 62,000 prisoners in 68 jails of the country. However, the prisons can accommodate only 30,000.
According to prison officials, the number of prisoners has significantly increased after the joint forces began their operations across the country. Usually 300-400 people are arrested every day, but now over 500 people are being taken into custody nationwide.
In a drive from 12:30 am to 6:30 am on Saturday, police arrested 24 people from launches coming from different districts at the Sadarghat launch terminal in the capital on the suspicion that they were criminals.
In Chittagong, at least 80 activists of the BNP and Jamaat-Shibir were arrested from different parts of the district, including the port city.
In Tangail, police detained 97 people from a Dhaka-bound train in Sadar upazila on Saturday on the suspicion that they might be involved in militant acts.
Local sources said police arrested 11 persons from Barishal, nine from Rajshahi city on Saturday.
Nearly 500 people, most of them Opposition activists, were arrested from different parts of the country during the drive by the joint forces from Thursday midnight to Friday morning on charges of vandalism and acts of sabotage.
The joint forces are conducting their crackdown in the capital with a secret list of 4,707 Opposition activists allegedly involved in subversive activities in the name of movement. According to the sources, the list was sent to the law enforcers before the joint forces started the massive hunt at midnight on Thursday.
Among the 49 police stations under the Dhaka Metropolitan Police, most of the listed miscreants are in Mirpur, Wari and Mothijeel divisions. According to the list, there are 820 miscreants in the seven police stations of Mirpur division , 690 in the seven police stations of Wari division, 610 in the seven police stations of Mothijeel division, 655 in the six police stations of Ramna division, 532 in the five police stations of Lalbagh division, 480 in the six police stations of Uttara division and 540 miscreants are in the five police stations of Tejgaon division.
Among the 4,707 listed miscreants, 2,280 are Jamaat-Shibir activists and at least 250 of them are described as “dangerous”. They were well trained in carrying out subversive activities targeting law enforcers, a confidential source exclusively told The Independent on Saturday.
Around 41,000 members of law enforcement agencies, including the elite Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), paramilitary Boarder Guard of Bangladesh, Detective Branch, along with the police, are engaged in the search operations.
According to the source, centring around the “March for Democracy” on December 29 in the city, the BNP-Jamaat is planning to carry out sabotage. They would be divided into around 40 groups, consisting of desperate cadres of both the BNP and the Jamaat. Among the specially formed groups, most are permanent residents of the capital, while some have come from outside.
According to information obtained by The Independent, law enforces have extended their surveillance in different hotels, guest houses and messes in the capital.
Most of the listed criminals are directly or indirectly involved in the activities of the radical Jamaat-Shibir and regularly participate in all political programmes during Opposition sponsored hartal and blockade in Dhaka city.
However, the BNP-Jamaat has also hired some professional criminals to carry out destructive activities. Being financed by the Jamat-Shibir, some of the hired miscreants hurl bombs, petrol bombs from processions and set fire to vehicles and others infrastructures. Talking to The Independent, Lt Colonel Mohammad Abul Kalam Azad, director of RAB’s intelligence wing, said: “We are conducting our drive after gathering intelligence information against criminals who have killed innocent people by throwing petrol bombs. We are not arresting people only because of their opponent political identities.” He added that they are very careful not to harass any innocent person.
-With The Independent input
