Govt launches combing operation
- 4.2 lakh arrested since interim govt took charge
- 75,000 individuals are currently in prisons
The government has launched a combing operation "to root out crime and restore public order" amid a spate of criminal activities across the country.
So far this July, over 1,500 people on average have been arrested daily.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Home Adviser Jahangir Alam Chowdhury made the announcement yesterday after a meeting of the advisory committee on law and order following a series of violent crimes, including the brutal killing of a trader in Old Dhaka.
"Due to social instability, intolerance, and moral decline, the tendency to commit crimes is rising day by day. It is the responsibility of all of us, including law enforcement agencies, to curb this," he said.
Talking to reporters at the Secretariat, the home adviser said the law enforcement agencies were regularly conducting drives against all forms of criminal activities, including murder, theft, robbery, extortion, mugging, terrorism, abduction, violence against women, mob violence, and drug trafficking.
Considering the situation, the government would launch special or combing operations to arrest identified criminals and terrorists, he said.
Asked when the operation would begin, Jahangir replied, "From now on."
Officials at the Police Headquarters said the home adviser's announcement itself is the directive for the field level officials. The police have also issued an official order to carry out the drives.
Speaking to The Daily Star, a superintendent of police in a district under the Chattogram Division said they already instructed field-level officials to intensify drives, particularly to arrest extortionists, drug dealers, and muggers.
"We have also directed them not to consider the political affiliations of any suspect," he added.
In February, the government launched "Operation Devil Hunt", a drive of the joint forces, to maintain law and order across the country following the attack on "students and common people" in Gazipur.
With an average of 1,330 arrests made daily at the time, most of those arrestees were reportedly affiliated with the Awami League.
Another wave of arrest was made after former president Abdul Hamid left the country on May 18, sparking protests from various political groups.
The highest number of arrests in a day, 2,271, was on May 10, just two days after his departure.
According to sources at the Police Headquarters, 1,26,687 people have been arrested so far since the special nationwide drive began on April 19. In total, around 4.20 lakh people have been arrested since the interim government assumed office in August last year.
Most of the arrestees were later granted bail and released from jail, officials said.
Prison sources said around 75,000 accused or convicted individuals are currently staying in prisons across the country.
Data from the Police Headquarters presents a grim picture of violent crimes, including murder, mugging, robbery, extortion, and mob violence, in the first six months of 2025.
PHQ data show 1,336 cases of dacoity and robbery, and 1,930 murders were recorded in this period.
Mob attacks claimed 89 lives, including 45 in Dhaka, according to Ain o Salish Kendra.
Many of these incidents were caught on camera and widely shared on social media, fueling fear and insecurity among the public.
In Dhaka's Mitford area on July 9, scrap metal trader Lal Chand alias Sohag was brutally killed in broad daylight. A video of the assault went viral, drawing heavy criticism over the lack of intervention.
On Friday, armed men attacked a business in Pallabi reportedly for the owner's refusal to pay Tk 5 crore extortion. The same day, a former Jubo Dal leader was killed in Khulna. He was shot and his tendons were severed. In Chandpur, a 75-year-old mosque Khatib was hacked with a machete after Juma prayers.
The home adviser yesterday said the government took the brutal murder in Old Dhaka with "utmost seriousness". Out of the 19 FIR-named accused, seven have already been detained.
If more people are found involved during the investigation, they will also be brought under the law, he said.
"No one is being spared on the basis of political or other identity and will not be spared in the future. The police will not spare any criminal," he added.
The home adviser also said a thorough investigation will be carried out to determine whether there was any negligence or leniency on the part of the administration or law enforcement agencies in the incident.
Comments