The police in Dhaka district have arrested 31 people, including several local leaders of Awami League, which is currently banned from holding activities, and its front organisations, ahead of the party’s planned ‘lockdown’ programme in the capital on November 13.
The arrests were made during a series of overnight raids.
Officials on Friday said that the detainees included Rabbi Sardar, 25, Narayanganj Sadar unit assistant secretary of AL’s affiliate Sheikh Russell National Children and Youth Council.Â
According to the police, they recovered a revolver from him during a search at a checkpoint in Uttar Panagao under the South Keraniganj police on Thursday night.
Dhaka District police superintendent Anisuzzaman said that the coordinated operation, which ran until 1:00am Friday, covered areas under the Savar, Ashulia, Dhamrai, Keraniganj Model, South Keraniganj, Nawabganj and Dohar police.
According to the police, Rabbi led several processions in Dhaka in recent months and maintained communication with ‘fascist elements’ at home and abroad to plan sabotage and unrest.Â
His phone allegedly contained evidence of links with banned Bangladesh Chhatra League and also with Jubo League members across multiple districts.
Those arrested include grassroots and union-level leaders of Chhatra League, Jubo League, Sramik League, Swechchhasebak League, Krishak League and Awami League.Â
Among the detainees are Savar Upazila Chhatra League vice-president Tanjirul Rahman and Kalindi Union Awami League general secretary Salam.
Anisuzzaman said that all the arrested were detained while taking part in processions or preparing for protest activities.Â
‘Any attempt to create chaos or sabotage will be dealt with stern measures,’ he said, adding that the crackdown would continue to detain others linked to the network.
Separately, the Dhaka District North Detective Branch police arrested three more Awami League activists, Siddiqur Rahman, Amzad Polan, and Jasim Mia, in operations in Savar and Ashulia, said Jalal Uddin, officer-in-charge of the DB unit.
