A special intelligence team has started investigation and collection of field level data to identify the masterminds behind the violent events that took place across the country in recent times, including the capital city.
Law enforcement agency sources said the team has already started creating a list of masterminds, who were involved in different kinds of sabotage and violent activities that has been going on throughout the nation for some months, after the verdicts of trialled war criminals were delivered. They said arrests would be made as per the list, after the collected information is crosschecked with high authorities.
Though the police force would not give any specific name of the team, they disclosed that the operation launched by the team would be known as “Freedom Operation.”
In this regard, state minister of home affairs, Shamsul Haque Tuku, said that a special team has been working to create the list of masterminds who created and helped to create the acts of violence and sabotage. The team has no name but they will soon be launching operations throughout the country to apprehend the listed criminals.
According to related sources, a group of misleading people including activists of Jamaat-e-Islami and their student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir, have been involved in creating sabotage activities since the last couple of months, to foil the ongoing trials of war criminals in the 1971 Liberation War. The main opposition, Bangladesh Nationalist Party, is also alleged of creating violence in the country in the name of series hartals.
The sources also alleged that the activists have been attacking the law enforcers, killing them and snatching their arms by beating them mercilessly. They [activists] have also been involved in setting railway bogies to fire, creating a state of panic among people. When the law enforcers tried to stop them, a fierce clash would erupt between them and leave a number of people injured and killed.
Following such situations, the high authorities of law enforcement agencies held a special meeting where they decided to launch a special force to maintain law and order of the country. The teams of the force will conduct their duties in plainclothes, which will be coordinated by an additional inspector general of police. They will use modern technology and machines to conduct their duty and will publish the list of masterminds after analysing video footages of the incidents carefully.
A high official of the police headquarters, on request of anonymity, told the Dhaka Tribune: “Members of the intelligence departments, along with police and Rapid Action Battalion are also working with the special team to identify and arrest the mastermind behind the incidents.”
“The intelligence departments mainly started their activities in the field level, after activists of Jamaat-Shibir started to create violence following the verdict of Delwar Hossain Sayeedi on February 28,” he added.
According to the current list of intelligence force, they have 202 masterminds and instigators in the Rajshahi division who are allegedly backed by BNP and Jamaat, 17 in Naogaon, 11 in Pabna, 15 in Shirajganj and Bogra, seven in Natore, 16 in Joypurhat and 18 in Chapainawabganj.
A total of 101 masterminds are listed in the Khulna division. Among them, eight were in Jessore, 13 in Jhenaidah, seven in Norail, five in Kushtia, seven in Bagerhat. Rangpur division was enlisted with 182, among which five are in Kurigram, seven in Gaibandha, seven in Dinajpur, seven in Thakurgaon, five in Lalmonirhat and six in Nilphamari.
In the Chittagong division, they have 241 masterminds. Among them, six are in B’Baria, five in Feni, six in Lakshmipur, seven in Comilla, five in Chandpur, 14 in Cox’s Bazar, eight in Noakhali. The Dhaka division was enlisted with 298 masterminds and among them four are in Manikganj, seven in Mymensing, six in Narayanganj, 14 in Netrokona, seven in Sherpur, six in Jamalpur, nine in Tangail, nine in Gazipur and five in Narshingdi.
The list also has a total of 156 masterminds in the Barisal division. Among them eight are in Jhalokathi, five in Pirojpur, four in Patuakhali and 15 in Bhola. The Sylhet division has 123 masterminds – 18 in Moulvibazar, 13 in Hobiganj and 17 in Sunamganj districts.
The special team will have the task of verifying this list of masterminds and instigators.
In this regard, Inspector General of Police, Hasan Mahmud Khondokar said the people who are involved in the creation of different sabotage and violent activities will never get mercy and stern actions will be taken against them.
“Several teams of law enforcers are currently working to stop the occurrence of such events,” he added.
