Quota protest violence: 330 more arrested in 9 dists; tally crosses 1,380 in Dhaka

Police in nine districts have arrested at least 330 people since Tuesday night till Wednesday (24 July) evening on charges of carrying out sabotage and vandalism during the quota-reform protests.

Police warned that no one would be spared if they were found to take part in the violence and destructions.

In Lakshmipur, 14 people were arrested from 6 upazilas under the Explosive Substances Act yesterday, said Sadar Police Station's Office-in-Charge (OC) Easin Faruque Mazumder.

Meanwhile, a total of 103 people were arrested by Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP) and District Police from Tuesday night to Wednesday evening, said Public Relations Officer of CMP, Additional Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Tarek Aziz, and Additional Superintendent of district police Abu Tayub Mohammad Arif.

During the same period, at least 115 people were arrested in Narayanganj, 11 in Cox's Bazar, 23 in Cumilla, 9 in Khulna, 15 in Gazipur and 20 in Bogura, according to police sources.

In Satkhira, 20 people have been sent to jail on Wednesday after arresting them on Tuesday night, said Satkhira District Police Special Branch Inspector Yachhin Alam Chowdhury.

Arrests cross 1,000 in 5 districts

With the latest arrests, the tally of arrested rose to more than 1,000 in the last three days in five districts – Chattogram, Narayanganj, Cumilla, Lakshmipur and Cox's Bazar.

A total of 15 more cases have been filed by police during this period accusing around 14,000 people.

DMP arrested 1,380 in 154 cases, claims losses worth Tk61cr

Around 1,380 people have been arrested in 154 cases filed with different police stations under the jurisdiction of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) over the last few days, DMP Joint Commissioner Biplab Kumar Sarker told the media today.

He said drives were ongoing to apprehend the rest.

He further said miscreants had set fire to a total of 69 establishments of DMP. Alongside burning down traffic police boxes, they have tried to set some police stations and outposts on fire.

"We had to incur losses worth Tk61crore due to these arson attacks."

Meanwhile, the Detective Branch (DB) of DMP arrested two individuals – identified as Judge Mia and Md Rakib – on accusations of setting fire to Bridges Building located at the capital's Mohakhali, said DB Chief Harun-or-Rashid at the agency's headquarters on Minto Road yesterday.

Based on information given by the duo, seven Jamaat-Shibir activists have been arrested from different areas of the city later, said Harun.

2,000 opposition leaders, workers arrested: Fakhrul

Meanwhile, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir today claimed that at least 2,000 opposition leaders and activists were arrested across the country in connection with violence during student movement.

"So far we have come to know that around 2,000 of our leaders and activists have been arrested," he said while briefing the media at BNP chairperson's Gulshan office.

He, however, said they don't still have the exact information about the arrestees and casualties as the communication system has been closed by the government.

"The government is only trying to highlight the attacks and vandalism during the movement dropping the issue of casualties to shift the blames on BNP," he added.