Bangladesh Police have arrested nearly 33,000 people during a nationwide special operation conducted over the past two and a half months as part of an intensified drive to tackle crime, maintain public order and apprehend fugitives. Alongside the special operation, almost 84,000 additional suspects were detained in regular policing activities and in connection with various criminal cases during the same period.
According to the latest statistics released by Police Headquarters, the special operation, which has been running since 1 May, resulted in the arrest of 32,908 individuals between 1 May and 12 July. During the same timeframe, another 83,817 people were arrested through routine policing operations and investigations linked to separate criminal cases.
The nationwide campaign has focused on combating terrorism, extortion, illegal firearms, organised criminal activity and locating individuals who had been evading arrest in pending cases. Police said intelligence-based operations have been carried out across the country with the participation of district police, metropolitan police, range offices, specialised units and other law enforcement agencies.
The operation also led to the recovery of a substantial cache of illegal weapons and explosives. Authorities seized 243 firearms, 2,313 rounds of ammunition and cartridges, 88 magazines, 43 crude cocktail bombs, two kilograms of gunpowder, 503 locally made weapons, 18 firearm components, 17 items used for manufacturing weapons and explosives, and 10,300 chocolate bombs.
Among the recovered firearms were 76 pistols, 50 guns, 33 locally manufactured LG firearms, 30 shooter guns, 18 revolvers, 15 pipe guns, 12 air guns, four shotguns, two rifles, two submachine guns (SMGs) and one pen gun. The seizures highlight the continued efforts by law enforcement agencies to curb the circulation of illegal weapons, which are often linked to violent crime, organised criminal networks and extortion activities.
Police also reported significant progress in their anti-narcotics campaign, with large quantities of illicit drugs confiscated during the same period. Officers seized 7,640,276 yaba tablets, 8,284 packets of heroin, 3,186 bottles of phensedyl, 6,835 bottles of foreign liquor, 354 bottles of locally produced liquor and 5,336 packets of cannabis, among other narcotics.
The anti-drug drive resulted in the filing of 14,157 criminal cases, while 20,439 individuals were arrested on drug-related charges. The figures underline the scale of Bangladesh’s continuing efforts to disrupt drug trafficking networks and prosecute those involved in the illegal narcotics trade.
Senior police officials said the special operation is being conducted on the basis of intelligence gathered from across the country. Its primary objectives are to maintain law and order, suppress terrorism and extortion, prevent the spread of illegal firearms and narcotics, and ensure that absconding suspects wanted in criminal cases are brought before the courts.
Officials added that the coordinated operation will continue as part of broader law enforcement efforts to strengthen public safety and uphold the rule of law through close cooperation among police units and other security agencies nationwide.
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