POBNEWS24, Dhaka Feb 17,2025 : 529 more people have been arrested in the last 24 hours in the ongoing ‘Operation Devil Hunt’ campaign across the country, including Dhaka. In addition, a total of 1,503 people have been arrested in the same period, including other campaigns.
Inamul Haque Sagar, AIG (Media and PR) of the Police Headquarters, gave this information in a news briefing on Monday (February 17) evening.
Inamul Haque Sagar said that 529 people have been arrested in the last 24 hours in Operation Devil Hunt. In addition, 1,503 people have been arrested in other campaigns including this special operation from yesterday to today.
Meanwhile, the court has granted three-day remand to former minister and Bangladesh Workers’ Party President Rashed Khan Menon, former Information Minister and Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) President Hasanul Haque Inu. In the same case, journalist couple Shakil Ahmed, former news chief of Ekattor Television, and Farzana Rupa, former chief reporter and presenter, have been granted a five-day remand.
The court granted them this remand in a case filed on Monday (February 17) on charges of killing Anwar Hossain Patwary in a shooting incident in the Gol Chattar area under Mirpur police station during an anti-discrimination student movement. On that day, the accused were produced before the Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court from jail. Then the investigation officer of the case applied for a five-day remand. After the hearing, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate GM Farhan Ishtiaq granted them this remand.
On the afternoon of August 26, Detective Branch (DB) police arrested Inu from a house in Uttara in the capital. Rashed Khan Menon was arrested from the capital’s Gulshan area on August 22. Shakil Ahmed and Farzana Rupa were arrested from Hazrat Shahjalal Airport on August 21.
Anwar Hossain Patwary was shot dead in the Mirpur Golchattar area on August 5, the day the Awami League government fell during the anti-discrimination student movement. His father, Al Amin Patwary, filed a murder case at Mirpur Model Police Station in this incident.
Meanwhile, a statement from the Workers’ Party Politburo of Bangladesh said that after the political change on August 5, Workers’ Party President Rashed Khan Menon was arrested on false charges. Not only that, more than a hundred cases, including 35 false murder cases, have been filed against Rashed Khan Menon and arrangements have been made to try him at the International Crimes Tribunal. Because there are hundreds of confusions in the process of filing the cases, it is easy to guess how the trial will be. Although bail was sought from the High Court on the basis of the right to bail and civil rights, it was rejected. Rashed Khan Menon is a proven leader of the democratic progressive movement and the working people in this country, an organizer of the liberation war and independence, a freedom fighter who has continued his struggle journey since his teenage years. He is still fighting against all hypocrisy and reaction. The arrest of freedom fighter Rashed Khan Menon, who organized the student movement against Ayub Shahi in 1962, led the students as the VP of DUCSU and expressed solidarity with all student movements, is an attempt to take revenge by the powerful forces of the opposing ideology by putting him on trial in a special international court. Rashed Khan Menon, a fighter who fought for the establishment of Bangladesh, does not expect this behavior. The party has demanded the immediate release of Rashed Khan Menon.
On the other hand, poets, writers, artists and conscious citizens have formed a human chain and rallied demanding the unconditional release of poet Sohel Hasan Ghalib within 72 hours. The rally was held at the Amar Ekushey Book Fair premises on Monday (February 17) at 4 pm.
At the rally, poet Chanchal Ashraf said, ‘Can people live in a country where poets are disrespected? He did not steal or rob, yet why was he taken on remand? We want poet Ghalib back among us with respect.’
Professor Khaliquzzaman Ilyas said, ‘This is not a mere incident, there may be a conspiracy behind it. There may be different interpretations of the poet’s writing, but he could have been asked what he meant. Instead of doing that, he was sent to jail, which is not fair.’
Journalist and writer Ehsan Mahmud said, ‘February is the month of language, and writers are being detained in this month. This is actually an attempt to replace the state with a fundamentalist character. How this government fell into this trap is a matter of wonder.’
‘Adarsh’ publisher Mahbub said, ‘This government is ours, Ghalib is also ours, so who will we stand against? I have contacted three advisors to the government, but they did not seem to be taking the matter seriously. No one should think that detaining a poet is of no use. If we do not get Ghalib released within 72 hours, we will approach various international organizations including PEN International.’
A team of the Intelligence Branch of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) arrested Sohel Hasan Ghalib on Thursday (February 13) night on charges of insulting the Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH). On Monday, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Awlad Hossain Muhammad Junaid ordered his two remands.
