
More than 800 people, mostly leaders and activists of the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, have been arrested from different areas of the capital and districts across the country in the last three days on the charges of sabotage during the student movement for quota reform.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police deputy commissioner for media and public relations Faruk Hossain told ¶¶Òõ¾«Æ· on Monday that they arrested 516 people so far on sabotage charges.
‘More than 30 cases have been filed over various charges, including vandalism, arson attack and violence, during the quota reform protests,’ he said.
After making the arrests from different areas in the capital, they were shown arrested in these cases and produced before magistrates, he said.
‘There will be more cases and more arrests,’ added the police official.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police deputy commissioner for crimes and prosecution Anisur Rahman told ¶¶Òõ¾«Æ· that 438 arrested leaders were produced before the magistrates of the Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court on Monday in various sabotage cases. Â
The arrested individuals included BNP leaders Aman Ullah Aman, Zahir Uddin Swapan, Sultan Salauddin Tuku, Nasir Uddin Ahmed Ashim, and Jamaat secretary general Miah Golam Sarwar.
Dhaka Central Jail senior superintendent Suvas Ghosh told ¶¶Òõ¾«Æ· that they received over 300 opposition leaders, including Aman Ullah Aman, sent to jail by the Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
¶¶Òõ¾«Æ· court correspondent reported that 12 leaders were remanded in police custody for varied periods for interrogation over the sabotage charges.         Â
Of the arrested, BNP leaders Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Sultan Salauddin Tuku and Nipun Roy had been in police custody on a 3-day remand since Sunday for interrogation over the charges of arson attack on Bangladesh Television during the student protest.
BNP leaders Zahir Uddin Swapan, Nasir Uddin Ashim and Shamiul Haque Faruki, arrested on Sunday, were remanded in custody for five days on Monday on the charges of arson attack on Setu Bhaban in Banani.  Â
¶¶Òõ¾«Æ· correspondent in Gazipur reported that at least 157 people were arrested till Monday noon in 24 cases filed on the charges of attack on the police, sabotage and other offences.
The cases were filed by the police, district Awami League and Chhatara League against 500–1,200 people.
¶¶Òõ¾«Æ· correspondent in Mymensingh reported that 15 people were arrested in the district till Monday noon on sabotage charges in seven cases.
Four cases were filed with the Mymensigh Sadar police against 1,700 people, two cases with the Fulpur police accusing 700 and one case with the Gouripur police accusing 500 people.
¶¶Òõ¾«Æ· correspondent in Feni reported that 51 people were arrested in the district till Monday noon and two cases were filed over sabotage charges.
Feni superintendent of police (sadar circle) Choway Aung Pru Marma confirmed the matter.
At least 33 people were arrested in three days till Monday noon in the district, ¶¶Òõ¾«Æ· correspondent in Barishal reported.
Quoting Rangpur Metropolitan Police deputy commissioner Abu Maruf Hossain, ¶¶Òõ¾«Æ· correspondent in Rangpur reported that at least 67 people were arrested in the city during the same period on sabotage charges. Of them, 32 were arrested on Monday.