37 held in two days
JASHORE, Dec 18: A nationwide special drive titled 'Operation Devil Hunt Phase-2' has begun to rein in law and order and crack down on what authorities describe as 'fascist elements'.
The operation has also been launched in Jashore, where 37 people have been arrested in raids conducted across different upazilas over the last two days.
Police said, those arrested include leaders and activists of the Awami League and its associate bodies-Jubo League, Chhatra League and Swechchhasebak League-as well as local public representatives.
According to police sources, 19 people were arrested on Monday and another 18 on Tuesday night. Of them, five were detained by the Detective Branch (DB). They include Mizanur Rahman Mukul, former general secretary of Arabpur Union Awami League; Hossain Ali, an executive member of Jashore Sadar Upazila Jubo League; Mofizur Rahman, former joint convener of Ward-6 Jubo League; Saifur Rahman Abhi, organising secretary of Monirampur Upazila Chhatra League; and Altaf Hossain, a UP member of Ward-6 and organising secretary of union Jubo League.
Bagherpara police arrested three others-Abdullah Al Mamun of Doyrampur, Suranjit Adhikari of Narikelbari and Alamgir Hossain of Radhanagar.
Earlier, during overnight raids on Monday, DB police arrested 19 people, including Babul Gazi, a district Sramik League leader and an associate of former MP and district Awami League general secretary Shaheen Chakladar. He was shown arrested in a case over preparing banners for a Jubo League protest procession.
DB teams also arrested former central Chhatra League leader Sharif Abdullah Al Maruf Piyal and his brother Sharif Abdullah Al Masud Himel, as well as Ali Hossain, described as a Jubo League cadre, in connection with a 2018 election-time bomb attack case.
Jashore District police said, all those arrested in the two days were produced before court, which ordered them sent to jail.
The operation follows a decision taken at a Home Ministry core committee meeting to ensure a peaceful environment ahead of the national election.
