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1,493 more arrested in 24 hours

Staff Correspondent
Joint forces during the last five days of their nationwide special drives arrested 8,325 people and recovered 33 firearms and 34 explosives.
Out of the arrestees, 1,493, including 151 in the city, were arrested in the last 24 hours till
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8:00am yesterday morning.
Meanwhile at a press briefing held at the Police Headquarters yesterday, Nur Mohammad, the inspector general of police (IGP). said the one-month-long special drives, launched on May 28. are not intended to harass any political leaders and activists
The special drives have been launched primarily for two reasons — to improve the 'deteriorating' law and order situation during last few months and to impose precautionary measures ahead of the upcoming national elections, he said.
Looting of firearms from police in Rajshahi and Gazipur and the rise in number of killings in the city are signs of deterioration of the situation, he pointed out.
Brushing aside the allegations of harassment to political activists, the IGP said 6,043 of the arrests were made as there have been pending warrants for their arrest.
A press release issued by the Police Headquarters said only 39 of the arrestees were political leaders or activists. Of them, 20 are from Awami League, 17 from BNP, one from lamaat and one from Kalyan Party.
The IGP said the ongoing special drives have five objectives -- execution of arrest warrants, recovery of illegal arms, arrest of convicts, recovery of illicit drugs and arrest of individuals possessing illegal arms.
Rapid Action Battalion Director General Hasan Mahmud Khondoker and DMP Commissioner Naim Ahmed were ilso present during the briefing.
Our Rangpur correspondent adds: Police arrested 43 alleged criminals in eight upazilas of the district during the last 24 hours till filing of the report.
The arrestees are accused m different criminal cases, said sources in police control room. Since May 31, police arrested 129 alleged criminals in the district.
Our correspondent from Kushtia adds: The joint forces on Sunday night arrested editor of a local daily newspaper and chairman of a union parishad (UP).
Joint forces confirmed the arrests of Manjur Ehsan Choudhury, editor of local daily \ndoloner Bazar, and advocate Akram Hossain Dulal, chairman >f Jointeehazra UP.
Manjur is also Kushtia corre-tpondent of Channel-i, while Dulal is the president of Khoksa apazila unit Jubo League.
They two were handed over to Kushtia sadar police. They were rent to district jail yesterday after jeing shown arrested under iection 16(2) of the Emergency Power Rules (EPR).
Our Kushtia correspondent adds: The joint forces arrested 16 jeople including a listed criminal rom Meherpur district.
The listed criminal, Kalu Kubbat Ali from Bhaberpara in Mujibnagar, is accused in at least •even cases.
Our Barisal correspondent reports: The joint forces raided Paradise Hotel-2 in the town and arrested its director \shrafuzzaman Anis under EPR.
Our Rajshahi correspondent
adds: The joint forces yesterday arrested a BNP activist from Belgharia area in Durgapur upazila, bringing the number of arrested grassroots political activists in the district to five.
The BNP activist, Sabdul Islam, has been held under the EPR He is accused in several