Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) arrested 452 people during operations across the capital over a 24-hour period, with Mirpur recording the highest number of arrests. Police also filed 32 cases during the same period, recovering narcotics, explosive materials, a machete and several vehicles and other items.
The figures were confirmed on Sunday, 11 October, by Mohammad Akter Hossain, Deputy Commissioner of the DMP’s Media and Public Relations Division.
According to the police, the operations were conducted in different police station areas across Dhaka, resulting in arrests and the recovery of suspected contraband and other items for investigation. One victim was also rescued during the operations, although the authorities did not disclose the individual’s identity or the circumstances surrounding the rescue.
Mirpur Records the Highest Number of Arrests
Mirpur accounted for the largest number of arrests, with 114 people detained during the 24-hour period. Wari recorded the second-highest figure, with 66 arrests, followed by Tejgaon with 60 and Motijheel with 55.
Police also arrested 53 people in Lalbagh, 35 in Gulshan, 33 in Uttara and 25 in Ramna. The Detective Branch (DB) accounted for a further 11 arrests.
The figures cover the DMP’s eight police divisions and its Detective Branch. However, the police statement did not provide a detailed breakdown of the allegations against those arrested in each area or specify how the 32 cases were distributed among the different divisions.
Yaba Tablets, Cannabis and Locally Produced Liquor Recovered
Narcotics were among the main items recovered during the operations. Police seized 5,931 yaba tablets, 90 grams of cannabis and 144 bottles of locally produced liquor.
Officers also recovered an unexploded cocktail bomb and part of another unexploded cocktail bomb. The DMP did not provide further details about where the explosive materials were found or whether they were connected to any particular incident.
Other items recovered included a covered van, a motorcycle, a compressed natural gas (CNG)-powered auto-rickshaw, two lighters, two pairs of scissors, six mobile phones, a machete and a travel bag.
The police statement did not specify which of these items were seized as evidence in particular cases, nor did it clarify whether the vehicles were suspected of being used in criminal activities.
Legal Proceedings Under Way
The operations were carried out across different police station areas in the capital as part of the DMP’s ongoing law enforcement activities. The arrests and recoveries are expected to form part of investigations into the allegations under examination.
Police said legal proceedings against the arrested individuals were under way. However, further details about the nature of the 32 cases, the specific offences alleged and the progress of the investigations were not immediately available.
The recovery of explosive materials and substantial quantities of suspected narcotics may be relevant to separate investigations, but the information released by the DMP does not establish a connection between the different items or the people arrested.
The authorities also provided no additional information about the rescued victim, leaving the circumstances of the rescue unclear.
Arrests and seizures are part of the initial stages of law enforcement. The allegations against those detained must be assessed through the appropriate investigative and judicial processes, and an arrest alone does not establish guilt.
