Bangladeshi security forces have arrested more than 8,600 individuals following a two-week crackdown targeting gangs allegedly linked to the ousted government of Sheikh Hasina, the interim government announced Monday.
The arrests come amid growing concern over rising crime levels in the capital, with police reporting that robberies have doubled since January of last year.
Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, head of the Interior Ministry in the interim government that assumed power after Hasina’s ouster in the August 2024 student-led revolution, ordered officers to intensify "Operation Devil Hunt."
Since the operation began on Feb. 8, security forces have detained over 8,600 people, according to police.
Chowdhury blamed members of Hasina's Awami League party for the surge in crime, accusing them of attempting to "destabilize" the country.
"Operation Devil Hunt will continue, and we won’t allow the perpetrators to rest," Chowdhury told reporters early Monday after an emergency security briefing. "I have ordered the forces to increase patrols."
The crackdown has sparked protests from students frustrated by the surge in violent crime, with many demanding Chowdhury's resignation.
"We don't know what this 'hunt' is achieving," said Sadia Afreen Mou, a graduate student. "The situation is only getting worse. The number of rapes is rising, and assaults and muggings are making life unbearable."
Sumaiya Nazneen described how her brother, injured businessman Anwar Hossain, was shot and stabbed outside their home by robbers wielding machetes and riding motorbikes.
"The mugging happened right in front of our house," she said.
