Police have arrested 12 people in Gazipur’s Kapasia under a case filed under the anti-terrorism act, over an alleged rally and procession by leaders and activists of the banned Awami League, Jubo League, Chhatra League and their affiliated organisations. Separately, six more were arrested on warrants in other cases, and two more in a routine case. In all, Kapasia police station arrested 20 people on Tuesday (September 15) and sent them to court.
Police said that at dawn on September 13, leaders and activists of the banned Awami League, Jubo League, Chhatra League and their affiliated organisations allegedly gathered on the Dhaka-Kishoreganj highway in the Purba Lohadi area of Kapasia police station’s Barishab union, with the aim of destabilising and paralysing the state through various slogans and propaganda. A case was filed at Kapasia police station on September 14 under sections 8, 9(1), 9(2), 9(3), 10, 11 and 12 of the anti-terrorism act.
Following the case, Kapasia police station carried out a special operation on the night of September 14 and arrested 12 named accused. They are: Jewel Rana, 45, former organising secretary of Kapasia upazila Chhatra League; Md Abdul Hannan, 51, former organising secretary of Ward No. 4 Awami League in Targaon union; Md Zahirul Islam, 29; Mostakim, 37; Sumon, 26; Shrabon, 19; Zobayer, 19; Hridoy Khan, 20; Munna Hossain, 19; Sunny, 22; a 17-year-old identified by police as Niyan Khan; and another Sumon, 16.
Jewel Rana is the son of Abdul Mannan of the Tarun area in Kapasia upazila, and Md Abdul Hannan is the son of the late Chamir Uddin of the Moishon area. Police said the others are residents of Khilgaon, Vitipara, Begunhati and surrounding areas of Kapasia upazila.
Separately, six more people were arrested on warrants in various cases, and another two in a routine case. All 20 arrested were handed over to court following proper legal process. Police said such operations will continue to keep the law-and-order situation normal and prevent acts of sabotage and terrorism, and that swift legal action will be taken should any untoward situation arise.