Authorities launched a countrywide arrest drive after dozens of cases were filed on charges of acts of sabotage after violent student protests that left at least 157 killed in the past eight days across the country.

Political leaders and activists, service holders, drivers, and even day labourers were not spared as police arrested about 2,500 people, including over a thousand in the capital Dhaka, in the past three days, officials said.

The arrests included 600 people in Chattogram while hundreds more arrests were tallied in multiple districts across the country.

A 16-year-old physically-challenged boy named Md Ashik of north Nakhalpara in Tejgaon was among 483 arrested people, who were produced before the Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court by police.

Two courts of metropolitan magistrates, Jashim Uddin and Moinul Islam, sent 466 suspected accused to the Dhaka Central Jail and remanded 17 others in police custody for three days for interrogation in the sabotage cases.

Court officials and lawyers told New Age that the 466 arrested people landed in jail in groups on different police vans after the two magistrates passed orders from their chambers after only hearing the statements of general recording officers.

Lawyer Kazi Fayzul Islam Faisal argued in court that his client, Fardin Islam, an HSC examinee, should be freed on bail after police prayed for his three-day remand.

Fardin, along with four others, including two drivers, was remanded in custody for three days in a sabotage case filed with the Shahbagh police on July 21 for setting a vehicle on fire on July 18 during the student movement.

The mother of Titumir college student Shihab Uddin Sajib told New Age on the CMM court compound that her son was arrested at their house and was implicated in a case filed by the Hatirjheel police on July 21 under the explosive substance act for vandalism and  sabotage in front of Mollah Tower on July 18.

The mother of 18-year-old madrassah student Muzahidul Islam told New Age that her elder son was arrested in the Paltan area on his way to madrassah in Khilgaon on Monday afternoon when the curfew was relaxed.

Muzahid was accused of throwing bricks at the law enforcers in front of Hirajheel restaurant on July 16 during the movement, according to the case.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police spokesperson Faruk Hossain told New Age that at least 38 protest-related cases were filed in the capital, while New Age correspondent in Rajshahi confirmed the filing of 16 cases in the city.

In Chattogram, 14 cases were filed in the city area, while 11 cases were filed by the district police, reported New Age correspondent.

Most of these cases were filed under Sections 15(3) and 25(D) of the Special Powers Act, 1974, for destructing state properties, including important establishments, by making false conspiracies against the government.

The cases accused members of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh, and their associate bodies of carrying out destructive activities during the students’ movement.

DMP arrested 1,117 people in two days, according to its spokesperson, while detective branch chief Harun or Rashid claimed at a press briefing on Tuesday that they had arrested at least 150 people on sabotage charges.

He also said that detectives found involvement of the main opposition Bangladesh National Party leaders and activists in sabotage, violence, and vandalism during quota protests.

The Rapid Action Battalion has arrested more than 150 suspects in Dhaka in the past few days on various charges, including arson attacks on various government buildings.

Confirming the matter, RAB headquarters media officer, assistant superintendent of police Emran Khan, told New Age that the arrested included Gana Odhikar Parishad joint member secretary Tareq Rahman.

He said that they had arrested the people on charges of arson attacks on different government establishments in the capital, including Metro Rail and BTV Bhaban.

The newly arrested people included BNP chairperson’s Special Assistant Shimul Biswas and the party’s Dhaka North City unit president, Saiful Islam Nirob.

Shimul Biswas was arrested at the capital’s Bayley Road area by law enforcers around 7:45am, said BNP chairperson’s media wing member Shamsuddin Didar.

Besides, he said that a team of police arrested Nirob from the Bashundhara residential area around 5:00am.

In a statement, BNP secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir claimed that police arrested the coordinator of the 12-party alliance, Ehsanul Huda.

He also alleged that BNP standing committee member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy’s Nayapaltan political office was allegedly attacked by the ruling party activists.

Fakhrul expressed grave concern over the arrest and jailing of opposition leaders and activists.

Quoting Chattogram Metropolitan Police spokesperson Tareq Aziz, New Age correspondent in Chattogram, reported that police arrested a total of 327 suspects on sabotage charges.

Of them, 49 people were arrested on Tuesday, said the police official.

Feni additional superintendent of police (Sadar Circle) Thoway Aung Pru Marma said that 63 suspects have been arrested so far in two cases filed over sabotage during protests, New Age correspondent in Feni reported.

Quoting detective branch officer-in-charge Faruk Hossain, New Age correspondent in Mymensingh reported that 55 people have been arrested in the past four days.

New Age staff correspondent in Rajshahi reported that 179 opposition leaders and activists have been arrested since July 18.

New Age correspondent in Rangpur reported that police arrested a total of 75 people in the past four days.

Deputy commissioner of Rangpur Metropolitan Police Abu Maruf confirmed the matter and said that the arrested included BNP district unit former vice-president Kawsar Zaman Babla.

New Age correspondent in Barishal reported that police arrested a total of 79 people in the past four days in seven cases.