Police, backed by paramilitary forces, have extended their operation in the capital, Dhaka by eight days to catch arsonists, goons, pickets, and their financers with a view to tackling the ongoing political violence that erupted on 6 January.

The operation continued for one month that ended on Monday. Police now have extended the timeframe for eight more days that will end on 31 March.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), Armed Police Battalion (APBn), Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) jointly conducted day and night shift raids in eight areas of Dhaka. The areas are Ramna, Lalbagh, Motijheel, Wari, Tejgaon, Gulshan, Mirpur, and Uttara police divisions.

Each team consists of 20 members from each of the forces with required number of officers from concerned divisions during the raids.

A detail notice, signed by DMP commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia was served to all deputy commissioners (crime department) recently to make this drive effective.

The joint team is conducting ‘block raids’, both in day and night shifts to maintain the law and order situation of the capital.

The forces are directed to inform the Crime Command and Control Centre (police control room) at Abdul Gani road in Dhaka immediately regarding the result of the ‘block raid’ activities.

The concerned deputy commissioner, additional deputy commissioner, and assistant commissioner are monitoring the drives.

DMP joint commissioner (crime and ops) is coordinating the whole drive.

‘The BNP and its wings, Jamaat and Shibir is conducting violence, arson attacks, crude bomb and firebomb attacks in the name of political movement. They are spending huge amount of money to patronise arsonists mostly criminals, drug addicts or muggers to implement their plan’ said a senior DMP official.

The DMP has introduced the ‘block raid’ drive in Dhaka to immediately stop such criminal activities and to bring the financers of arson attacks under justice, he said.

‘Prior to any such operation, deputy police commissioners will gather secret information and conduct raids. During such drives, they will arrest the arsonists and bring the financers under justice,’ the official said.

He also said the DMP has asked the police officials to conduct visible operations during the block raids to have confidence and faith of public.

‘In addition to their regular team, the joint teams can take support from well-known people of society, public representatives and community police to make it a success,’ he said.

While contacted, junior home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said that such drives are nothing new in law enforcement to bring situation under control.

‘We have instructed law enforcement agencies to take necessary measures to make the city corporation polls peaceful. They will do everything required to ensure a fair election,’ he said.

The law enforcers were also instructed to sit with the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) in identifying the risk-prone voting areas and for taking necessary measures, the state minister added.

Earlier in January, the police and RAB officials jointly conducted ‘block raids’ in crime-prone districts including Chapainawabganj, Rajshahi, Gaibandha, Bogra, and Rangpur.