Gazipur SP: Militants may be using Joydebpur as safe haven

Gazipur police suspects that Joydebpur industrial town is being used as shelter by militants for its close proximity to Dhaka. Gazipur Superintendent of Police Mohammad Harun Ur Rashid made the statement at a press conference at the Police Lines Saturday while announcing the launch of a non-stop combing operation in Joydebpur to search for suspected militants and other criminals. “This operation is being carried out on suspicion that leaders and members of militant outfits, drug peddlers, criminals and fugitives in various cases may be taking cover in the industrial town of Joydebpur as it is situated beside the capital,” said the SP. A large number of people enter the capital through Joydebpur every day and the criminals take shelter in Gazipur deeming it a safe place, Harun added. The official pointed to the fact that Tongi in Gazipur is the place where an attempt to snatch executed Harkat-ul Jihad al-Islami Bangladesh (HujiB) leader Mufti Abdul Hannan from a prison convoy took place in March this year. Moreover, a good number of militants were arrested from Tongi in separate drives in the past, he added. About 500 police personnel will be conducting the operation simultaneously in nine wards under Joydebpur police station. The teams will search out each and every residence and gather information about the tenants. Police will also distribute leaflets and tenants' information forms to the owners of the houses during the operation. The operation will gradually encompass the entire district, according to the official.