Over 200 suspected militants and extremists have been arrested during the weeklong nationwide police crackdown, which ended this morning. The number of arrestees, including the suspects and accused in different criminal cases, is estimated at some 20,000 during the police crackdown, which started on June 8 following the spate of targeted killings in different parts of the country. Meanwhile, an alleged extortionist was killed in a reported gunfight with members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area of the capital early Thursday. The number of arrests during the combing operations has sparked a debate in the political sphere, with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) alleging that majority of them was either innocent people or belonged to the party.
Asked whether the combing operations would continue, minister for home affairs Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal told The Independent that it would not continue for the time being. He said this operation was directed particularly with the special objective to nab militants and other criminals. “Such kinds of operations take place from time to time and whenever necessary. Whenever police feel it necessary, they would renew it,” he said. The minister said the number of arrests of suspects was higher during the combing operations this time, but the total number would not be higher when the daily average is considered. The law enforcement agencies arrested a total of 14,762 people, including 171 militants, in the first four days of the drive.
The police, in their press release, did not mention the total number of people arrested on the fifth and sixth days of the operations.
According to the police release, a total of 31 militants was arrested on the fifth and sixth days, giving a total figure of 202 militants. The number of arrested militants might go up when the arrests on the seventh day of the operations are considered.
Police sources hinted that the number of total arrests during the weeklong
operations might go up to nearly 20,000, with the arrests of 14,762 people in the first four days.
According to the police release, a total of 10 militants was arrested on the sixth day of the operation. Of them, nine are members of the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen (JMB) and one belongs to the outlawed Hizbut Tahrir.
The deceased in yesterday’s gunfight with RAB in the capital was identified as Aidul alias Mama Sagor, a top extortionist of Kawarnbazar area of the city and associate of top terrorist Ashik, said RAB sources.
Operational Officer of Rab-2 Yeasir Arafat said a patrol team of the elite force challenged a group of people in the area when the group was moving suspiciously there at about 2 am. At one stage, they opened fire on the RAB members, forcing the elite force to fire back that triggered a gun battle.
Mama Sagor was caught in the line of fire and seriously injured while other members of the gang managed to flee the scene. He was rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital where doctors declared him dead. Rab members recovered one pistol and two rounds of bullet from the spot.
On June 7, the police decided to launch combing operations across the country from Friday against the militants and extremists. Members of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) also joined the police in the crackdown.
The killing of Mahmuda Akter Mitu, wife of superintendent of police (SP) Babul Akter, prompted the administration to go in for the combing operations to flash out militants and criminals. The operations were also directed at the patrons of the militants and extremists.