Bangladesh News

The army-led joint forces arrested 2,002 people on various charges within 24 hours preceding 6:00pm yesterday including three influential CBA leaders of Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) as part of their ongoing anti-crime drive nationwide.

Members of an intelligence agency raided the Rajuk Bhaban in the afternoon and hauled up Rajuk CBA leaders Gazi Mohammad Amir Khashru, Sramik Dal president, Abdul Malek Mian and Aorangajeb Siddique Nannu, also leaders of Sramik Dal. They were handed over to Motijheel police in the evening, sources said.

Meanwhile, Giasuddin Quader Chowdhury, industrial affairs secretary of BNP and former lawmaker, was released some time after the members of an intelligence agency detained him on Sunday night, sources added.

He was offloaded from a Singapore Airlines flight at Zia International Airport and placed under detention.

The joint forces of police and Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) arrested 1,914 people in 24 hours till 6:00pm yesterday. Among them, 23 were held under Arms Act, 25 were fugitive convicts, 967 had arrest warrants against them and 899 were picked up on other charges.

The army also arrested 88 people — 48 listed criminals and 40 accused — during yesterday’s drive, said a home ministry news release.

The law enforcers seized 30 firearms — the army recovered six firearms while police and Rab did 24. They also recovered 326 bullets during the drive.

So far, the joint forces arrested over 32,650 people since they launched the anti-crime drive on January 12 — the day after the state of emergency was imposed in the country.

In Bogra, joint forces led by the army arrested Bogra District Jubo League secretary Sagar Kumar Roy for his alleged involvement in criminal activities.

The army in Chittagong arrested seven people including a former Union Parishad chairman and a former UP member for their involvement in different criminal activities.

Joint forces of army and police busted 14 money exchange counters in Moulvibazar under Sylhet and arrested nine people while they seized currencies worth Tk 70 lakh.

In the meantime, detained former Jatiya Chhatra League president Jahangir Sattar Tinku, who had close ties with Hawa Bhaban, was in army custody till last evening. The army picked him up from his Moghbazar residence on January 24.