Another 1,100 arrested in police raids

Over 1,100 more people were arrested in the capital and other districts in the 36 hours till 6:00pm yesterday, as law enforcers continue their crackdown on those suspected to be linked to the recent violence across the country.

So far, at least 133 cases over violence have been filed with different police stations in the capital.

According to an analysis of 29 of them, 499 named and 74,055 unnamed people have been made accused in the cases lodged with 17 police stations on charges of attacking law enforcers, damaging and torching state properties.

In 24 cases, the numbers of the accused were not mentioned and only stated "many unidentified accused".

Among the over 1,100 arrestees, 505 were in the capital, according to police and court sources.

Of the others, 102 were arrested in Chattogram; 34 in Barishal; 12 in Dinajpur; 33 in Rangpur; 55 in Mymensingh; 12 in Kishoreganj; 31 in Narsingdi; 18 in Khulna; nine in Manikganj; 100 in Savar; 72 in Rajshahi; 80 in Narayanganj, and 60 in Gazipur.

With the latest count, at least 2,657 people have been arrested across the country in the last four days.

Shamsuddin Didar, a member of the BNP's media cell, yesterday said police arrested BNP leader Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas and Dhaka city (north) BNP convener Saiful Alam Nirob from the capital's Bailey Road and Bashundharaarea yesterday.

BNP Treasurer Rashedujjaman Millad and executive member Tariqul Islam were also arrested in capital yesterday, he alleged, adding that law enforcers raided BNP standing committee member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy's Nayapaltan office, but did not find him there.

Police started block raids in the city and other parts of the country after violent clashes and destruction took place in the capital and elsewhere.

According to the Police Headquarters, 281 different kinds of police vehicles were torched or damaged, while 235 police establishments, including stations and outposts, were also vandalised or gutted.

Yesterday, the 505 arrestees in Dhaka were produced before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court, which sent almost all of them to jail. A few were placed on remand on different terms, court sources said.

According to court records, 799 people were produced before the CMM court in three days till Monday.

Meanwhile,Additional Commissioner of DMP's Detective Branch (DB) Harun-or-Rashid yesterday said the DB has so far arrested 150 BNP and Jamaat leaders.

At a press briefing in his office yesterday, he alleged that different wings of the BNP and a section of Jamaat-Shibir activists carried out arson attacks on the BTV Bhaban, Setu Bhaban, Data Centre, metro rail, police traffic boxand police stations, upon the instructions from Tarique Rahman, acting chairman of the BNP, from London.

Harun said they arrested BNP executive committee member Tariqul Alam yesterday. According to the DB chief, Tariqul had been in contact with Tarique and used to convey his messages to other leaders.