RAJSHAHI — Security forces arrested 67 people and seized weapons and narcotics during “Operation Fast Light,” a joint sweep through four Padma River sandbars in northern Bangladesh, police said Sunday. Of those detained, 14 were taken in Rajshahi, 20 in Natore, 24 in Pabna and 9 in Kushtia.
The arrests and weapons recoveries were announced at a Nov. 9 news conference at the Rajshahi range DIG’s conference room. About 1,200 members of the police, Rapid Action Battalion and Armed Police Battalion conducted the operation across the Kushtia, Pabna, Natore and Rajshahi chars from Saturday night, Nov. 8, through Sunday morning.
Mohammad Shahjahan, deputy inspector general of the Rajshahi range, told reporters that 58 people had been detained in the operation. Forces seized 10 firearms, four rounds of ammunition, two spent shells, 24 hasua sickles, 6 daggers, 2 swords, 4 knives, 3 cleavers, 2 Chinese axes, 20 bottles of phensedyl, 50 yaba pills, 800 grams of cannabis, 5 motorcycles and an iron pipe.
Of the 14 detained in Rajshahi, four were named in arrest warrants, six were drug dealers, two were targets of the Devil Hunt operation and two were described as outlaws. Recovered items included three single-shot guns, one bullet, one shell, 20 bottles of phensedyl, 50 yaba pills, 800 grams of cannabis, 5 motorcycles, one hasua and one knife. Of the 20 detained in Natore, four were described as hackers, six were warranted suspects, one was a convict, one was wanted in a murder case, two were drug dealers and six were named as suspects. Two shotguns, one revolver, 22 hasuas, 6 daggers, four knives, four cleavers, one ramda and one pipe were recovered.
Of the 24 detained in Pabna, one was described as an outlaw, two were case defendants, seven were warranted suspects, two were Devil Hunt targets, four were drug suspects and 8 were defendants in regular cases. Police recovered two shotguns, three bullets, one shell, two pipe guns, two Chinese axes, two ramdas, one hasua and one knife. Of the 9 detained in Kushtia, eight were warranted suspects and one was a defendant in a regular case.
In the operation, police also recovered an engine-powered boat and a speedboat used in a double murder and robbery in the Bagha police station area, a cylinder for storing weapons, two tents and five motorcycles. District police officers of various ranks attended the news conference.
Police said 11 criminal gangs, including the Kakon gang, have long been preying on residents along the Padma chars in Rajshahi, Natore, Pabna and Kushtia. The Kakon gang is led by a man known as Engineer Kakon, whose real name is Rokonuzzaman Kakon, police said. Other gangs named by police include the Mondal, Tuku, Saeed, Lalchand, Rakhi, Sharif Kaigi, Razzak, Bahanno, Sukchand and Naharul groups. Operations against these gangs will continue, police said.
On Oct. 27, Aman Mondal and Najmul Mondal, both from Nichkhanpur in Bagha upazila, were killed in a shootout with the Kakon gang at Habirchar in Daulatpur, Kushtia, police said. The next day, the body of a man identified as Liton was recovered from Habirchar. Police believe Liton was a member of the Kakon gang.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report