A total of 16 political leaders and activists have been arrested from four districts on various charges.
The arrests were made in Bogra, Khulna, Chapainawabganj and Tangail between Thursday and Saturday afternoon.
In Bogra, one Awami League and three BNP members were arrested from the Dhunat upazila in Bogra on gambling charges.
They were apprehended in the early hours of Saturday, and a court sent them to jail in the afternoon.
The arrestees are Dhunat municipal unit BNP former joint convener Shahadat Hossain Milu, Gosaibari union former Chhatra Dal president Selim Reza, 36, Bhandarbari union BNP member Faridul Islam Fatik, 45, and Bhandarbari union Awami League member Saidur Rahman Shamim, 40.
According to the case file, a gambling ring held nocturnal sessions in the area – even at Shamim’s own home, leading to the bankruptcy of many locals. Upon receiving a tip-off, police went to Shamim’s house and arrested the four professional gamblers. Police also recovered some cash and articles used in the gambling process. Several other gamblers managed to get away.
Dhunat police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Ismail Hossain confirmed the matter, saying the convicts have been sent to jail and a case has been filed over the matter.
In Khulna, BNP members complained that police, upon not being able to find their intended target Khulna Ward 26 BNP President Bachchu Mir, arrested his son Hasan, and tortured him during a 24-hour remand.
They also said police from the Sonadanga police station later slapped an alleged vandalism case against the son and sent him to court.
The arrest was made after 3pm Thursday.
Sonadanga Model police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Momtazul Haque denied the accusation, saying: “Hasan is himself guilty of vandalism.”
Khulna metropolitan BNP condemned the matter in a press briefing on Friday, saying Hasan was kept in a mosquito-infested cell without food or electricity.
The press statement also listed a further 156 people who had been arrested over the last month by eight Khulna police stations.
In Chapainawabganj, eight female Jamaat leaders were arrested during a secret meeting in the Shibganj upazila on Friday evening.
Some jihadi books were recovered from their possession during the arrest.
The arrestees are Shirin Aktar, 50, Rahela Begum, 40, Rozina Begum, 30, Aziza Begum, 23, Tahera Begum, 45, Shuktara Begum, 42, Sakera Begum, 45, and Nazma Begum, 25.
Shibganj police station OC Shikdar Md Moshiur Rahman confirmed the arrests, adding that a case would be filed over the matter.
In Tangail, police in the early hours of Thursday arrested Basail Upazila Jubo Dal Secretary Arzu Khan Uzil, Kashil Union Jubo Dal Secretary Abdul Rouf and local BNP leader Aynal Khan.
“They were arrested in a case filed on October 13 against 75 unnamed men,” said Basail police station SI Sekander Hossain.
