DHAKA: In the ongoing crackdown on Awami League leaders under the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government in Bangladesh, police have taken another party member, Shariful Islam, into custody on charges linked to last year's July demonstrations.
The City Cyber Division of the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) Unit of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) arrested the Awami League leader during a raid in the Wari police station area in the capital on Monday evening, local media reported.
According to the police, Shariful has been accused in connection with multiple cases related to last year's July protests, and legal action against him is underway.
Islam previously served as Secretary of Science and Technology Affairs for Dhaka South City Awami League and was also the Organising Secretary of Wari Thana Awami League, Bangladesh’s leading Bengali daily Jugantor, reported.
On the other hand, the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) on Monday issued arrest warrants against former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mohammad Javed Patwary and four other senior police officials in connection with the alleged 2016 murder of seven people in the Patartek area of Gazipur district.
The order was passed by a three-member bench of the tribunal, following a petition submitted by the prosecution seeking the warrants.
Among the accused are Monirul Islam, former chief of the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, and former Superintendent of Police (SP) and Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) of Bogura district.
However, the authorities did not disclose the names of the other accused, reportedly to facilitate their arrest.
Analysts reckon the developments as a major political vendetta being pursued by the Yunus regime, as several cases were filed against the former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, her party members and the working officials during her tenure on frivolous grounds immediately following her ouster in August 2024.