Days after an armed anti-drug operation in Old Dhaka forced State Minister Ishraque Hossain to resign, another controversial drive has surfaced in Mohammadpur, where a young man was allegedly beaten and handed over to police by members of a civic organisation linked to followers of another state minister.
The latest operation, conducted under the banner of ‘Nagorik Unnati Sangathan’ (Civic Development Organisation), allegedly involved followers of State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Bobby Hajjaj. However, the minister and his executive assistant have denied involvement in organising the drive.
According to police, Arif Hossain was detained around 11pm on Sunday on a pavement near Geneva Camp, adjacent to Residential Model College in Mohammadpur.
He was struck on the head and left bleeding before being handed over to police at the college gate.
Police subsequently took him to the emergency department of Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital, where he received four stitches to his head.
Local residents alleged that the operation was conducted under the supervision of Bobby Hajjaj’s Executive Assistant Intishar Mashuk Pradhan.
Intishar, however, denied organising the drive.
“There is a civic organisation in that area, and they occasionally conduct such operations,” he told TIMES.
Bobby Hajjaj also denied that anyone from his office had carried out an anti-drug operation.
Speaking to TIMES, the state minister said local residents had taken initiatives to maintain law and order after 5 August and suggested that an old video from that period might have resurfaced on social media.
He acknowledged that a person named Intishar worked on his staff but maintained that his office had no involvement in the operation.
Meanwhile, Mohammad Ahmed, who was seen participating in the operation in a video circulating on social media, claimed he knew nothing about the incident when contacted by TIMES.
Mohammadpur Police Station Inspector (Operations) Md Mofiz Uddin said the detained Arif was a drug user, although he had no previous criminal cases against him.
“The detained Arif is a drug user. Although he has no previous cases against him, a case will be filed against him this time,” he told TIMES.
Police have also applied for a dope test to determine whether Arif had consumed narcotics.
The Mohammadpur incident follows Saturday’s controversial anti-drug operation in Gendaria, Old Dhaka, led by then State Minister for Liberation War Affairs Ishraque Hossain.
Photographs posted on Ishraque’s own Facebook page showed him running with a pistol in his hand during the operation. Several people accompanying him were also seen carrying firearms.
Six people were detained in that operation and handed over to police.
The incident subsequently led to Ishraque’s resignation from the cabinet.
The latest allegations in Mohammadpur have brought another anti-drug operation involving individuals reportedly associated with a state minister into the spotlight, even as those named in connection with the drive deny responsibility.
