Operation Devil Hunt: 607 arrested on 3rd day

The nationwide security drive ‘Operation Devil Hunt’ gained momentum on its third day, with joint forces arresting 607 people across the country.

This brings the total number of arrests since the operation began to 2,258 as of Tuesday afternoon, according to sources at police headquarters.

Of those arrested, 1,168 individuals were taken into custody in connection with existing cases. During the latest round of operations, law enforcement recovered various weapons, including pistols, a shutter gun, a pipe gun, cartridges, knives, machetes, axes, and other sharp weapons.

The crackdown, which began on Saturday night, was launched under the pretext of maintaining law and order and ensuring public safety. However, reports suggest a particular focus on supporters and activists of the Awami League, including members of its banned student wing, Chhatra League.

The operation was devised in response to Friday night’s violent clash in Gazipur, a stronghold of the Awami League. The unrest erupted when students attacked the residence of former Liberation War Affairs Minister and AL leader Mozammel Huq. The ambush, reportedly planned and executed by loyalists of Huq and former mayor Zahangir Alom, left multiple student activists severely injured, with over a dozen requiring urgent treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury stated on Sunday that the crackdown would continue until the so-called ‘devils’ were completely eradicated.