One arrest in every two minutes: Operation Devil Hunt 2 launched after Bangladesh unrest…, it includes.., Yunus govt decides to…

Bangladesh Police arrested at least 663 people across the country in 24 hours under ‘Operation Devil Hunt Phase-2’. That is, one arrest was made every two minutes. This operation was launched by Bangladesh Police across the country to restore law and order and recover illegal weapons. Local media reported this information quoting a senior police officer. Assistant Inspector-General (Media and Public Relations) of Bangladesh Police Headquarters, AHM Shahadat Hossain, confirmed the action and said that during the last 24 hours of the operation, 663 people were taken into custody and nine weapons were recovered.

According to a report in Bangladeshi media, the Dhaka Tribune, police conducted this operation in various locations across Bangladesh. As part of the search, 26,881 motorcycles and 26,573 vehicles were searched, and 342 illegal motorcycles were seized. Previously, under Operation Devil Hunt Phase 2, Bangladeshi police arrested at least 4,232 people across the country. Local media reported that the interim government of Bangladesh decided to launch Operation Devil Hunt Phase 2 across the country on December 13th.

Why was Operation Devil Hunt started?

The aim of launching this operation is to prevent sabotage activities using illegal weapons ahead of the February 2026 elections. Addressing reporters in Dhaka, the interim government’s Home Affairs Advisor, Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, announced the decision after a core committee meeting on the law and order situation. This meeting took place a day after the attack on Inquilab Manch spokesperson Sharif Osman Hadi. Operation Devil Hunt was launched on February 7 this year following the attack on 15-16 students at the home of former Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque.

More than 11,000 arrests in 20 days

Citing the human rights organization Mandaka Sanskriti Foundation (MSF), Prothom Alo reported that 11,313 people were arrested across Bangladesh from February 8 to February 28 in Operation Devil Hunt. The report stated that most of those arrested were members of the ousted Awami League government. Under Yunus’s interim government, Bangladesh has witnessed a dangerous increase in violence and growing political vendettas. The country remains in a state of chaos under Yunus’s rule.

Last month, the Awami League accused the Yunus government of conspiring to push the country’s people into an uncertain future. The Awami League also alleged that its party workers and leaders were being forcibly imprisoned. They also alleged that murder plots were being hatched against party leaders and workers in jail. Criticizing the Yunus government, the party said that since the illegal occupiers seized power, incidents of murder, rape, theft, robbery, looting, and plunder have increased rapidly across the country.