Photo : Messenger
Police in plain clothes are being deployed in the field to apprehend the bus arsonists. Over 300 policemen will be stationed at various points around the capital, some of whom will even travel by bus. Each team, consisting of five policemen, will be armed and engaged in this operation.
The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has implemented these measures to ensure the normal movement of buses in the capital and to apprehend the terrorists responsible for setting the fires.
Additionally, 158 individuals were arrested across the capital on Monday as part of the ongoing operation. In total, 1,110 people have been arrested between October 28 and October 30.
Meanwhile, senior officials have warned that the killers of Police Constable Aminul Islam Parvez will not escape justice, even if they manage to remain in hiding for now.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police Joint Commissioner Biplab Kumar Sarkar said, “We have adopted a new strategy to apprehend the arsonists responsible for setting fire to the buses. We will be able to catch those who are setting fire to buses red-handed. That's why our plainclothes team members have begun their work. Additionally, a case is being filed for each incident, including the defendant's name. The operation to apprehend them is ongoing.”
In response to a question, the Joint Commissioner said that there is no chance of sparing anyone involved in the killing of the policeman. “Killing him means killing my brother. Hurting those who have been hurt means I have been hurt. We have taken this incident very seriously, from the highest levels of the police to the individual members. How long will they hide after killing my brother? We will bring them to justice," he said.
He further emphasised that even the highest leaders of the BNP (Bangladesh Nationalist Party) cannot evade their responsibility for the killing of the policeman. No one involved in the events or the planning behind the incidents will be exempt from legal consequences. He pledged to find them wherever they may be, underscoring the commitment made in front of Aminul's deceased body.
According to a source within the DMP, on the first day of the three-day blockade, several locations in the capital were secretly set on fire. Miscreants even targeted passenger buses. In response, senior officers have devised a new strategy to apprehend these miscreants. In addition to plainclothes officers on the spot and on patrol duty, over 300 plainclothes policemen will be deployed across the capital. They will be divided into groups of three or five, depending on the presence of uniformed police officers in certain areas. They will also travel by bus as passengers, ensuring the safety of buses and enabling immediate preventive action if sabotage is attempted.
These security measures are expected to increase public transport availability and reduce disruptions to human movement. The plainclothes policemen will begin their fieldwork on Wednesday morning.
On the first day of the blockade, tight security was observed throughout the capital. Attempts to march in support of the blockade in Matuail were dispersed by the police, resulting in the arrest of 30 individuals. Additionally, a significant number of policemen were observed in different areas of the capital, including Jatrabari, Signboard, Dhalpur, Khilgaon, Malibagh, Rampura, Badda, Gulshan, Uttara, Mirpur, Farmgate, and Gabtali. The BNP central office in Nayapaltan also faced strict security measures.
Furthermore, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have deployed their teams for patrolling across the capital.
BGB has deployed its ‘rapid action team’ in Dhaka to ensure security during a three-day nationwide blockade called by the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami. The RAT began patrolling the capital in the early hours of Tuesday.
In addition to this team, BGB personnel have also been deployed in various locations across the country, as stated by BGB Public Relations Officer Shariful Islam.
Shariful mentioned that although 11 platoons (each with 30 personnel) of the BGB were initially deployed during the recent strike, the number was later increased to 22 platoons.
Deputy Commissioner Farooq Ahmed of the DMP Media Centre said that a total of 158 people were arrested in the capital from Monday to Tuesday morning. Three cases have been filed against them as they were involved in the riots that occurred during the BNP rally on October 28, including the killing of policemen.
Additional Commissioner AKM Hafiz Akhtar of the DMP said that special security measures have been implemented across the capital during the BNP blockade. The culprits are being pursued, and these security measures will remain in effect throughout the blockade.
In response to a question, AKM Hafiz Akhtar said, “A special team has been deployed to apprehend the saboteurs. All individuals involved in these acts of terrorism will be brought to justice.”
The Additional Commissioner told reporters that over one hundred teams of intelligence police are deployed across the country, including the capital, to arrest those responsible for the brutal beating and killing of policemen during the BNP’s grand rally on October 28, as well as the burning of police vehicles. Over 1,500 individuals have been identified and will be brought to justice.
Messenger/Disha
