1,400 people detained across country

At least 1,400 people were detained across the country on July 24 last year as law enforcers continued a 'combing drive' in the name of arresting people over their involvement in violent activities during the quota reform movement, reports BSS.

According to a leading Bangla daily- Prothom Alo- at least 641 were detained from the capital alone on the day while most of them were identified as leaders and activists of BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami.

With the arrests on July 24, the total number of arrests across the country stood at least 4,500 since July 17. Of the total arrestees, 1,758 were from the capital and 703 from Chattogram.

Speaking about the mass arrest, the then Detective Branch (DB) chief Additional Commissioner Mohammad Harun-Ur-Rashid said, "We are identifying and arresting the perpetrators based on video footage." That day, then Inspector General of Police (IGP) Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun said that they would bring all perpetrators to justice. "Wherever the miscreants are hiding, they will be brought under the law," he stated.

However, amid the nationwide curfew in effect for the fifth consecutive day with partial relaxation, fresh clashes were reported in the capital and several other districts on a limited scale as a faction of the anti-discrimination student movement was carrying out public outreach camping wearing black clothes on their mouths.

In Dhaka and three other districts, the curfew was relaxed from 10:00 am to 05:00 pm on July 24 while other districts also witnessed curfew relaxation for a short period allowing the people to perform their emergency tasks.

Long-distance buses resumed services from Dhaka and launches from Sadarghat launch terminal. Government offices and banks were permitted to open for four hours. Alongside the police and RAB, army personnel continued patrolling the streets to maintain law and order.