At least 60 people have been detained in connection with the attack on the car of Hasnat Abdullah, chief organiser of the National Citizen Party (NCP) for the southern region.
The arrests were made during overnight raids conducted by the Gazipur Metropolitan Police on Sunday (May 4).
Additional Commissioner of Gazipur Metropolitan Police Zahid Hasan confirmed the matter on Monday morning.
Those detained are mostly leaders and activists of the Awami League and its affiliated organisations.
Following the attack, both the local police and the Detective Branch (DB) conducted a coordinated drive across various areas of Gazipur city from Sunday night.
Earlier, around 9:30 pm on Sunday, two individuals were detained: Md Nizam Uddin, a Jubo League leader from Ward 13 of Gazipur city, and Masum Ahmed Dipu, president of the Sheikh Russel Shishu Kishore Parishad, Kashimpur thana unit.
Police said the incident occurred on Sunday evening near Chandna Chowrasta in Gazipur city when unidentified assailants on a motorcycle attacked Hasnat Abdullah's car from behind, shattering one of its windows.
Upon receiving the report, police rushed to the scene and launched a large-scale operation in the surrounding areas.
By Monday morning, 70 individuals had been detained. Police operations are ongoing to identify and arrest those directly involved in the attack.
Meanwhile, following the attack on chief organiser (southern region) of NCP Hasnat Abdullah, Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (Retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said on Monday that the government will not spare those trying to perpetrate this type of incident.
"Those who will try to carry out such attack further will not be speared," he told the journalists after meeting with the visiting Italian home Matteo Pientedossi at Bangladesh Secretariat.
The car of Hasnat Abdullah came under attack on Sunday night at Chandra intersection in Gazipur.
The home affairs adviser said that so far 54 individuals have been detained for their alleged involvement in the attack on Hasnat Abdullah.
talhabinhabib@yahoo.com
