The joint forces apprehended 589 people as part of the countrywide Operation Devil Hunt in the last 24 hours till Monday evening.

In total, 9,253 criminals have been arrested from midnight on 8 February to 24 February evening.

According to police sources, an additional 954 criminals have been arrested on various charges alongside the Operation Devil Hunt.

In the last 24 hours, illegal weapons including one foreign-made pistol, one locally made pipe gun, 12 rounds of bullets, and one cartridge were seized.

Operation Devil Hunt is a special mission launched on 8 February to apprehend those accused of involvement in a terror attack on students and civilians in Gazipur on the night of 7 February. Gazipur is known as a stronghold of the Awami League.

The attack was reportedly carried out by associate bodies of former Awami autocratic leader Sheikh Hasina, who was ousted during the July student-public uprising movement. The 7 February violence left many people injured and destabilised law and order in the area.

Following the incident, the Ministry of Home Affairs placed high importance on law enforcement, and security agencies decided to strengthen overall security measures in the country after holding a meeting with high-ranking officials.