Anti-crime drive: 1,538 more arrested across country

At least 20,000 people, including activists of mainstreams political parties, have been arrested by Joint Forces in the anti-crime crackdown launched across the country in 11 days.

A press release issued by the Police headquarters yesterday said 1,538 people were arrested in the past 24 hours. The law enforcers also recovered

22 firearms, 10 hand bombs, 5 cocktails and 26 rounds of bullet during the period, it added.

Besides, 50 motorbikes were seized for not having valid documents and 1,777 cases were filed under the Motor Vehicle Act during the drive.

In Satkhira, Rapid Action Battalion, in a drive Sunday night, arrested five people alongwith arms and ammunition from a shrimp enclosure in Shyamnagar upazila.

Acting on a tip-off, the RAB members first arrested an alleged land grabber,

Abu Bakar Siddiq alias 'Khora Bakar', from Sultanpur in the district town on Sunday night.

Following his statement, the force raided a fish farm, "Chukuri

Fish Project", in Shyamnagar upazila and arrested four people Abdul Qader, Bulbul, Abu Masa and Abdur Rashid.

They also recovered three pipe guns, a gun, a pistol, 11 bombs and four bullets from the fish farm.

The arrested were handed over to police.

Police said Abu Bakar was an accused of cheating people and grabbing land for setting up shrimp enclosure.

Mymensingh, Joint Forces, in a drive, seized 540 sacks of fertilizer and 10,000 Indian rupees from the godown of a fertilizer dealer at Moddhobazar in Haluaghat upazila yesterday.

Acting on a secret information the Joint Force conducted drive in the godown of local fertilizer dealer Shah Newaz and seized 540 sacks of MOP fertilizer and 10,000 Indian rupees.

Police said the fertilizer sacks were hoarded in the godown for smuggling to India. Shah Newaz went into hiding. Police sealed the godown.