26 ‘militants’ among 3,115 held on day 4 drive

Over 3,100 people have been detained that includes 26 alleged militants during day four of the nationwide crackdown on militants.

This brings up the total tally of people held during the anti-militancy crackdown to 11,648 with only 145 among the alleged militants in the last four days.

A message from the police headquarters in Dhaka said the total number of detentions were made until 6:00am was 3,115 – mostly wanted men.

Among them, 2,368 were wanted criminals, 26 were alleged militants, 38 held in arms cases, 295 in narcotics and the remaining 388 in miscellaneous criminal cases.

The special crackdown began with a primary objective of nabbing militants believed to be carrying out targeted covert killings one after another across the country.

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This drive started after the killing of a top police official’s wife in Chittagong.

Previously, in the first three days, 8,469 people were detained countrywide. 119 were alleged militants. Most of them were said to be warranted criminals.

From a handful of details that could be gathered, 115 people including six alleged militants were held through Dhaka, Mymensingh, Natore and Satkhira.

In Dhaka, two alleged militants of the banned Ansarullah Bangla Team were held with machetes and books from Kamrangirchar area, a message from the police said.

In Natore, 63 men including three supporters of the Jamaat-e-Islami were detained, our local correspondent reports quoting local control room. The detainees included Abul Hashem, general secretary of Baraigram upazila unit Jamaat.

In Satkhira, 47 men including one alleged militant of the banned outfit Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) were detained, our local correspondent reports quoting Kamal Hossain, a sub-inspector at the office of district police superintendent.

In Mymensingh, three militants of the banned JMB including a close aide of the executed top terror Siddiqul Islam alias Bangla Bhai were held, our local correspondent reports quoting Mohammad Fazlul Karim, officer-in-charge of Muktagachha Police Station.

The arrestees were identified as Garibullah Akondo, 50, said to be the second-in-command of the JMB, Billal Hossain, 45, and Maruf Md Ishaq, 32.