7,018 people arrested in first seven days of October

In the last one week, more than 7,000 people have been arrested by the various units of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and police across the country.

Most of them are Awami League leaders and activists who have cases filed against them in incidents of casualties during the student movement as well as for drug smuggling, murder, robbery and other crimes. The Business Standard obtained this data from the police headquarters.

An analysis of arrest data by eight metropolitan police units, nine ranges (including railway range) and RAB shows that a total of 7,018 people have been arrested across the country in the last one week (from 1 to 7 October). Highest number of arrests were made in Chattogram range, 1,249 people. The second highest number of arrests were made in Dhaka range, 1,033 people. Rajshahi range is third in number of arrests. They arrested a total of 864 people.

Meanwhile, Dhaka Metropolitan Police has arrested the maximum number of 763 people among the Metropolitan Police units. And the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has arrested 400 people across the country.

Also, the highest number of arrests were made on 3 October with 1,259 arrests.

Recently, the law enforcement agencies came under huge criticism over the fleeing of alleged important persons and Awami League party leaders-activists who were responsible for hundreds of deaths during the student movement. Apart from this, there is also criticism about the reluctance in arresting identified gunmen who shot bullets on students and mass people. In such a situation, after two months of the formation of the interim government, the police's swiftness in arresting the accused has increased in the last week.

When asked why so many arrests were made in the last week Assistant Inspector General (AIG Media) Enamul Haque said, "Initially we faced several challenges in policing as hundreds of police stations were torched and vandalised and many vehicles were damaged too. But now the new leadership in field level policing is recovering from that situation."

About the current arrest scenario, Enamul Haque said that there has been an increase in arrests in the areas where crime rate is high. However, no special operation is going on except for the recovery of weapons.

According to related sources, an average of more than 100 people were arrested in Dhaka every day in the first seven days of October. During the previous Awami League regime, 250-300 accused were arrested daily in various cases in the capital. The number of these arrests would have increased during any political movement or special political situation. At that time, very few accused other than political leaders and activists were arrested.

Who are being arrested? 

Talking to the sources who were involved in the arrests said that the most priority is now being given to the arrest of the important accused in the case of casualties in the student uprising. In these cases, many ministers of the previous government, members of parliament, prominent leaders and former government officials have been accused. Many of them have previously been accused of major crimes and corruption.

After that, Priority is given to the arrests of those who attacked the student movement, especially those with weapons. Those of Awami League and its other organisations who played an active role in suppressing the movement or organised the attackers, are also being arrested, said sources.

After the fall of the Awami League government, at least 222 cases have been filed against Sheikh Hasina, of which 190 are murder cases. In most of the cases, apart from Sheikh Hasina, former ministers of her government, leaders of Awami League, former IGP, former commissioner of DMP, and various ranks of police officers and former officials were also made accused.

So far, 45 top personnel including ministers, parliamentarians, journalists have been arrested. Among them, former ministers Saber Hossain Chowdhury and Narayan Chandra Chanda, former chief secretary and former chairman of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) Nojibur Rahman were arrested on Sunday. Abul Kalam Azad, a former member of parliament and former chief secretary of the Prime Minister's office, was arrested on Saturday. Apart from this, several other former ministers and members of parliament, former government officials were arrested in the last one week. 

Reason behind the delay in arrests

The related sources said there are several reasons for such arrests in early October, two months after the fall of the Awami League government on 5 August. Senior police officials said that many political leaders, including Sheikh Hasina, have been involved in various criminal activities in the past—many of whom left the country illegally. The government's role has been criticized from various quarters, including the agitating students. For that reason efforts are being made to strengthen the arrest operation.

Also, law enforcement agencies are also giving importance to ensure extra security centring Durga Puja.

Apart from this, images of the use of firearms to suppress the students' movement appeared in various media and social media. But many of them were not arrested. The anti-discrimination student movement has demanded to take action in this regard at various times. The interim government has taken the matter seriously, but due to the fragile state of the police, the arrest operation could not be strengthened for so long.