2,630 arrested in DMP raids: Over 85% students, ordinary citizens
The remaining detainees are leaders and activists from BNP, Jamaat, and other political parties
The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has launched extensive raids following the quota reform protests, leading to the arrest of 2,630 individuals.
According to DMP sources, over 85% of those arrested are students and ordinary citizens. The remaining detainees are leaders and activists from BNP, Jamaat, and other political parties.
The protests, advocating for changes to the government job quota system, turned violent, leading to the deaths of over a hundred people, including police officers. Key infrastructure such as the Metro Rail, Setu Bhaban, and BTV, along with police installations, were set on fire. Accusations have been directed at BNP, Jamaat, and Shibir for their involvement in the violence, prompting the DMP's crackdown.
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As of last Sunday, 243 cases have been filed across DMP's eight divisions in connection with the unrest. Of the 2,630 arrests, 2,284 are ordinary citizens and students. The remaining 346 detainees include 269 BNP activists, 73 from Jamaat-Shibir, three from Gano Odhikar Parishad, and one from Jatiya Party (JP-Manju).
Arrests by division
The arrests span across various divisions of DMP, with Ramna recording 147 arrests from 38 cases, Lalbagh with 204 arrests from 17 cases, Motijheel seeing 347 arrests from 36 cases, and Wari having the highest number with 594 arrests from 49 cases.
Tejgaon reported 290 arrests from 25 cases, Mirpur had 407 from 22 cases, Uttara saw 258 from 26 cases, and Gulshan recorded 383 arrests from 30 cases.
Wari division sees highest arrests
Wari Division has the highest number of cases and arrests. This division includes the police stations of Jatrabari, Gendaria, Kadamtoli, Shyampur, Demra, and Wari. A total of 49 cases have been filed in these stations, leading to 594 arrests, including 546 ordinary citizens and students.
Md Iqbal Hossain, deputy police commissioner of Wari Division, said most acts of sabotage during the quota reform protests occurred in his division. These included attacks on toll plazas, police killings, arson of party offices, and assaults on police personnel, leading to a surge in cases filed.
Regarding the arrests of ordinary citizens, Iqbal Hossain said that all kinds of people were involved in the sabotage. He stressed that arrests were based on evidence linking individuals to the crimes, not made indiscriminately.
He added, "Most of those involved in the sabotage were outsiders. They were brought in from Keraniganj and Narayanganj."
No mention of gunfire in police complaints
During the intense violence of the quota reform protests, police fired tear gas, sound grenades, and live ammunition to control the situation.
According to government figures, 150 people, including police personnel, lost their lives in the clashes. However, protesting students claim the death toll was higher, reaching 266, with most victims succumbing to gunshot wounds.
Despite these claims, police complaints filed do not mention any fatalities caused by gunfire. While some cases mention the firing of blank shots from shotguns, there is no mention of deaths resulting from these actions.
A particularly violent clash in the Jatrabari area lasted for four consecutive days, resulting in many casualties and several victims with gunshot wounds. However, police complaints for these incidents, under the jurisdiction of the Wari Division, do not mention deaths caused by gunfire.
When asked about this discrepancy, Deputy Police Commissioner Iqbal Hossain said, "The police fired blank shots to control the situation but we cannot confirm any deaths from these actions." Consequently, these details were omitted from the police complaints.
A police official at DMP headquarters explained that whenever a complaint directly links gunfire to a death, it necessitates an internal investigation.
Relatives protest arrests
The police have been conducting sweeping raids for the past few days, leading to allegations of mass arrests.
A TBS reporter covering the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court premises for the past four days spoke with relatives of several arrested individuals. These family members claimed that police were arresting innocent people from their homes and workplaces.
Rajia Begum, 39, who lives in Hatirpool with her son, said her son Sayem, 21, was arrested on Wednesday. "My son drives an ambulance and had gone out for tea. The police arrested him without any reason," she told TBS.
Regarding the situation, Joint Commissioner of DMP Biplob Kumar Sarker said that arrests were made based on specific information and evidence. He denied any harassment of students and asserted that only terrorists from BNP, Jamaat, and Shibir were being arrested.
Human rights concerns
Iftekharuzzaman, executive director of Transparency International Bangladesh, criticised the current actions, saying, "What is happening in the name of holding those responsible for violence accountable seems to serve a hidden agenda. There are serious human rights violations and arbitrary arrests of students and ordinary people, including teenagers. This is creating a climate of fear."
He added, "The real aim appears to be to make dissent and protests seem like crimes, even though these are constitutional rights. This approach might achieve short-term goals, but it is likely to backfire, causing more public discontent and eroding trust in the government."
