What is the mission known as Operation Devil Hunt?

On Saturday, the interim government launched a special operation named Operation Devil Hunt to curb unrest and ensure public safety across the country. This initiative comes immediately after the interim government, led by Professor Muhammad Yunus, completed six months in office.

Explaining the scope of the operation, Home Affairs Adviser Lieutenant General (Retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury stated that the operation aims to detain individuals who threaten national stability and will continue until all such elements are brought to justice. "Operation Devil Hunt will persist until every destabilizing force is held accountable," he said during the inauguration of the new Soil Building at the Soil Resources Institute in Farmgate.

According to the adviser, anyone contributing to instability or violating the law is considered a "devil," including anarchists. The operation was launched following a deadly attack on students and common people in Gazipur on Friday night.

The Home Ministry decided to initiate the operation during a meeting with law enforcement agencies on Saturday evening. This announcement followed a 24-hour ultimatum from the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement demanding the arrest of those responsible for the Gazipur attack.

As of last night, a total of 1,308 suspected criminals had been arrested nationwide as part of the operation, according to Additional Inspector General of Police (Media) Inamul Haque Sagar.

During a briefing at the secretariat, Dr. Nasimul Gani, Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs, emphasized that the primary objective is to apprehend individuals attempting to destabilize the country and bring them to justice. "Unlike the defeated fascist forces, we cannot be inhumane or ruthless, as the movements and uprisings in July and August were fought for human rights," he added.

When asked about the differences between the existing joint operation and Operation Devil Hunt, Inspector General of Police Baharul Alam clarified that for the past five months, law enforcement agencies had been conducting independent operations while coordinating their efforts in the field. However, the newly launched nationwide operation will be centrally organized and managed from a dedicated control hub.

"Previously, various agencies operated separately and later synchronized their efforts in joint force operations. But Operation Devil Hunt will be centrally organized and administered from a control room," said Baharul Alam. He also noted that this operation will have a significantly broader scope than previous raids.

The operation involves not just the police but also personnel from the Bangladesh Army, Navy, Air Force, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), Ansar, and the Coast Guard. Since September 4, joint forces—including the armed forces, BGB, Coast Guard, Police, Rapid Action Battalion, and Ansar—have been deployed across the country to seize illegal firearms and maintain law and order.