A section of government officials have been financing subversive activities carried out in Chittagong during the ongoing political turmoil, said the port city’s police chief.
At a media briefing yesterday, Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) Commissioner Abdul Jalil Mandol said: “While confessing their crimes in custody, 10 accused have mentioned the names of people who gave them the money for carrying out the subversive activities.”
The CMP boss, however, did not want to disclose the identities of the government employees whose names came up in interrogation.
“Enamul Kabir, an executive committee member of Shibir [Jamaat’s student front], and two others were arrested for plotting attacks on state-run oil depots in Chittagong. Police are now trying to find out more about the sources of their finance and the masterminds,” the CMP commissioner said.
Last week, a food inspector in Guimara of Khagrachhari was arrested in connection with a political violence-related case.
According to Sukanta Roy, inspector of Chittagong city’s Khulshi police station, the food inspector’s name was mentioned by two activists of Islami Chhatra Shibir who were arrested for possessing crude and petrol bombs on February 18.
At yesterday’s briefing, Jalil said a total of 1,878 people have been accused in 71 violence-related cases in the port city from February 1 to 22. Of them, police have managed to arrest 473.
He also said the CMP have so far rewarded four people for helping police with information leading to the arrest of miscreants.
Of those rewarded, two said they were supporters of the ruling Awami League and the rest did not claim to have any political affiliation.
The ruling party supporters are Shahidul Islam Jewel, an activist of Chhatra League; and Md Mostafa Amir, a supporter of Jubo League.
Abdul Mannan, a businessman, and Md Nasim, an employee of a private firm in the port city, are the other two. They assisted Khulshi police in arresting bombers.
The CMP commissioner handed over Tk10,000 to each of them at the media briefing.
Nasim helped police arrest Shah Alam Monu, who got injured when a bomb he was carrying exploded in the Shegun Bagan area.
Mannan helped police nab one Shohel Rana in the Garibullah Shah Mazar area in the port city along with several crude bombs on January 18.
Ruling party supporter Jewel and his associates caught one Rubel along with three petrol bombs in the Diesel Colony area of Jawtala on February 2.
Jubo League man Mostafa caught a man named Rinku with two petrol bombs in the Master Lane area on February 10.