Police detain 99 Jamaat activists in Bagerhat

The police detained 99 Jamaat-e-Islam activists from the residence of Jamaat leader Md Abdul Alim, the 'paddy sheaf' candidate for the Bagerhat-4 seat, reports bdnews24.com.

They were planning to cause unrest ahead of the December 30 parliamentary election, police claimed.

In a media briefing on Tuesday evening, Bagerhat Police Superintendent Pankaj Chandra Rai said the suspects were detained near the Asilaha Pilot High School in Morelganj.

"The detainees have been sent to jail through the court," he said. The police recovered grenades, petrol bombs along with numerous makeshift arms. However, Abdul Alim couldn't be detained, said the police superintendent.

The police acted on intelligence that a meeting was being held at the residence of Abdul Alim to discuss plans to cause chaos and unrest in Morelganj and Sharankhola during the election, he said.

"We detained 99 Jamaat activists of various positions in the party during the raid," he said. Following a search of the premises, the police recovered one unlicensed firearm, three bullets, nine hand grenades, six petrol bombs and numerous other domestic arms.

When asked about the incident, Bagerhat District Jamaat Amir Naib Wadud Sheikh said that the supporters of election candidate Abdul Alim were planning to launch a procession in the Morelganj municipality when the police arrived.