Dhaka, Dec 24 (NationPress) In a significant operation, Bangladesh police apprehended a total of 663 individuals nationwide within a span of 24 hours as part of ‘Operation Devil Hunt Phase-2’. This nationwide initiative aims to enhance law and order while addressing the issue of illegal firearms, according to reports from local media that reference a senior police official.

Assistant Inspector-General (Media & Public Relations) of Bangladesh Police Headquarters, AHM Shahadat Hossain, confirmed that during this operation, nine firearms were seized alongside the arrests.

In conjunction with routine police efforts, authorities searched 26,881 motorcycles and 26,573 vehicles, leading to the confiscation of 342 illegal motorcycles, as reported by the prominent daily Dhaka Tribune.

Just last week, under the same operation, police reportedly detained a total of 4,232 individuals across the nation.

The interim government of Bangladesh initiated the second phase of ‘Operation Devil Hunt’ on December 13, emphasizing the necessity to curb subversive actions involving illegal weapons ahead of the upcoming February 2026 elections, as per local media reports.

During a press briefing in Dhaka, Home Affairs Advisor Jahangir Alam Chowdhury revealed this decision following a core committee meeting addressing the current law and order situation.

This meeting occurred shortly after a gun attack on Sharif Osman Hadi, the spokesperson for the radical group Inqilab Mancha.

Operation Devil Hunt was first initiated earlier this year following an incident on February 7, during which 15-16 students were assaulted at the residence of A.K.M. Mozammel Haque, the former Liberation War Affairs Minister.

According to the human rights organization Mandhaka Sanskriti Foundation (MSF), a leading Bengali daily, Prothom Alo, reported that 11,313 individuals were arrested during the initial phase of Operation Devil Hunt from February 8 to February 28.

The report highlighted that a majority of those arrested were affiliated with the previous Awami League government, indicating a growing crackdown on the party.

Bangladesh has seen a troubling increase in violence and political vendetta under the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus.

Last month, the Awami League accused the Yunus administration of conspiring to lead the nation toward an uncertain future, warning that a new form of “mob terrorism” has emerged as an organized “terror tactic”.

In a strong denunciation of the Yunus regime, the party claimed that since the “illegal usurpers” took power, incidents of murder, robbery, theft, and violence have surged significantly across the country.