The law enforcers have detained 80 suspected Islami Chhatra Shibir activists along with a seizable cache of firearms and ammunition during an overnight drive at two colleges in the port city.
Chittagong Police Commissioner Adbul Jalil Mondol told the Dhaka Tribune: "During the first phase of the drive, the law enforcers seized nine firearms and 100 rounds of bullets from the Shibir men's possession. Acting on the information of the detainees, we later busted their den on a hill adjacent to the college and recovered huge amount of explosives."
However, he did not disclose the number of firearms recovered during the second phase of the overnight drive and the details of the detainees.
While describing the details of the drive, he said a joint team of Kotwali and Chowk Bazar police, including DB members, conducted the drive at Chittagong Government College and Government Hazi Muhammad Mohsin College from Tuesday night to Wednesday morning.
“A special team conducted the drive at Suhrawardy and Sher-E-Bangla halls of Chittagong Government College on Tuesday night. During the drive, the law enforcers detained 72 suspected Shibir members and recovered nine firearms and 100 rounds of bullets from their possession.”
On the basis of the information given by the detainees, police raided Government Hazi Muhammad Mohsin College and held eight more suspected Shibir activists, said the police commissioner.
“Acting on the information given by the detainees of Hazi Muhammad Mohsin College, the law enforcers later busted their den on the hill adjacent to the college and recovered huge cache of firearms from there,” he added.
“We are investigating the matter and necessary steps would be taken after talking to the authorities.”
Following the incident, the authorities of Chittagong Government College formed a six-member probe committee, said acting principal of the college Jesmin Akhter.