A total of 11,927 people have been arrested across the country since February 8 under the ongoing Operation Devil Hunt, according to a press release by Police headquarters. Most of those arrested are affiliated with the former ruling Awami League.
The interim government launched Operation Devil Hunt as a joint security operation aimed at combating terrorism and improving law and order. The operation began nationwide, including in Gazipur, following an incident on February 7 when 15 to 16 students were attacked at the home of former Liberation War Affairs Minister A K M Mozammel Haque. In response, the Ministry of Home Affairs authorized the operation involving multiple law enforcement agencies.
Additionally, another 20,372 individuals were arrested in connection with both new and existing cases during the same period, according to Manobadhikar Sangskriti Foundation (MSF).
Leaders of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement claimed that the students attacked in Gazipur had gone there after hearing about a robbery attempt, which they tried to prevent. One student later died from injuries sustained during the attack.
On February 8, Abdullah Mohit, Gazipur convener of the anti-discrimination movement, filed a case with Gazipur Sadar Police Station naming 239 individuals and listing 200–300 unidentified others. The primary accused in the case is Amjad Hossain Molla, a local Awami League activist.
14 Deaths in Custody in February
According to MSF, 14 individuals died in custody in February, including one female detainee, up from 8 deaths in January. The deceased include six convicts and eight undertrial detainees, one of whom was a woman.
The deaths occurred across various prisons: six in Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj, one each in Kashimpur, Jessore, Sylhet, Gazipur, Naogaon, Khulna, Rajbari, and one in Rajshahi where a prisoner died after falling into boiling water while cooking.
Additionally, a 17-year-old named Mehedi Hasan was critically injured after jumping from the third-floor roof of the Jessore Juvenile Development Center.
The report emphasized the need for improved healthcare in prisons and urged thorough investigations into custodial deaths, holding those responsible accountable.
Casualties from Political Violence
While the number of political violence cases declined in February, internal conflict—particularly among BNP members—increased notably. MSF expressed concern that this growing factionalism is fueling public fear and insecurity.
There were 39 incidents of political violence in which 393 people were affected. Among them, three BNP activists or supporters were killed, and 390 were injured, including one person who remains hospitalized with a gunshot wound. BNP’s Nawabganj upazila president, Azadul Islam High Pannu, has been missing since January 8.
Of the 39 reported incidents, 33 involved internal BNP conflicts, 2 involved Awami League infighting, and 4 were clashes between BNP and Awami League members.
Additionally, 12 incidents involved attacks on political activists by unknown assailants, leaving 6 dead and 43 injured. Among the dead were 4 Awami League and 2 BNP activists. Of these, 3 were directly murdered by assailants, 2 were found dead with their limbs bound, and 1 body was recovered from a field.
Source: ডেভিল হান্টে মোট গ্রেপ্তার ১২ হাজার (Prothom Alo)