Dhaka Metropolitan Police stormed the Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal headquarters on Saturday, detaining dozens amid claims of a secret banned party meeting and counter-allegations of a BNP attack on a legitimate delegates’ gathering.

Dhaka’s political temperature spiked on Saturday afternoon when Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) launched a major operation at the central headquarters of the Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JASAD, also referred to as JSD or JaSaD) in the city’s upscale Gulistan area. Officers surrounded the building, moved to the third floor and detained scores of people present inside. Estimates of those taken into custody range from more than 50 to over 100, with police stating they were verifying identities for possible links to the banned Awami League.

The raid began around 2:30 pm. Sub-Inspector Nazmul Hossain, present at the scene, reported nearly 400 individuals inside the office at the time. DMP Media and Public Relations Division Deputy Commissioner Md Aktar Hossain confirmed a joint operation by crime and detective units. He cited reports of “Joy Bangla” slogans being raised and the presence of many outsiders during a meeting as the trigger for the action. Detainees were taken to Paltan Model Police Station for questioning, with Officer-in-Charge Arifur Islam stating that identities and links were under verification and legal steps would follow accordingly.

Conflicting Accounts of the Gathering

JASAD’s version of events differs sharply. Office Secretary Sajjad Hossain said the party had convened a central representative or delegates’ meeting attended by roughly 350 leaders and activists from across the country. According to him, the gathering was disrupted around 2:30 pm when activists linked to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its youth wing, Jubo Dal, forcibly entered the premises and mounted an attack. Party members found themselves trapped as tension escalated in the surrounding area. Hossain firmly rejected claims that Awami League figures were involved, describing the accusations as a pretext for an unprovoked assault on a peaceful intra-party conference.

BNP and Juba Dal figures offered a contrasting narrative. Robiul Islam Nayan, Member Secretary of Dhaka South Juba Dal, was reported to have entered the facility and claimed that members of the banned Awami League were holding a secret meeting under the cover of the JASAD gathering. Police appear to have acted on intelligence consistent with this suspicion.

Context of the Ban and Political Climate

The Awami League was barred from political activity following the August 2024 uprising that ended Sheikh Hasina’s long tenure. Subsequent administrations, including the interim government under Muhammad Yunus and later political transitions, have maintained restrictions, with authorities conducting repeated operations against suspected residual networks. Human rights organisations have raised concerns over prolonged detentions of Awami League-linked individuals without charge in some cases, highlighting tensions between security measures and due process.

JASAD itself occupies a complex position in Bangladesh’s left-leaning political spectrum. Founded in 1972 after a split from the Awami League’s student wing, the party has experienced multiple factional divisions. One major faction under Hasanul Haq Inu had historical ties to the Grand Alliance; another, Bangladesh Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal led by Sharif Nurul Ambia, registered separately and at times engaged with broader left democratic platforms. In recent years, JASAD units have faced attacks on offices and have chosen to boycott certain electoral processes they described as one-sided.

Police Operation Details and Ongoing Verification

Law enforcement described the action as intelligence-driven. Officers secured the building and began systematic questioning. By late afternoon, between 30 and 40 individuals had been confirmed at Paltan Police Station in some reports, while others indicated higher numbers still under process. Police have not released a final tally of formal arrests or specific charges at the time of reporting, emphasising that verification of identities and organisational links continues. No detailed inventory of seized materials or further operational outcomes has been publicly detailed beyond the detentions themselves.

The incident occurred against a broader backdrop of elevated political friction in Dhaka and elsewhere. Reports of clashes, office attacks and competitive street presence among rival party youth wings have been recurrent in the post-2024 landscape. Authorities have repeatedly cited the need to prevent banned organisational activity and maintain public order, while opposition and smaller parties have accused security forces of selective enforcement or allowing partisan disruption.

Reactions and Immediate Aftermath

JASAD leaders portrayed the raid as an interruption of legitimate party business and an example of vulnerability for smaller left parties. They insisted the meeting was internal and that outside forces exploited the occasion. Police maintained that the combination of slogans associated with the banned party, the presence of large numbers of outsiders, and prior intelligence justified the intervention.

As questioning continued into the evening, the office remained under police presence. Further formal decisions on charges, releases or continued detention were expected once identity checks and intelligence analysis concluded. Local traffic and commercial activity in the area experienced temporary disruption during the cordon.

Broader Implications for Political Space

The episode illustrates the fragile space available for smaller registered parties amid ongoing efforts to suppress residual networks of the banned Awami League. It also underscores persistent mutual distrust between major political camps and the challenges facing law enforcement in distinguishing legitimate political assembly from prohibited activity. Independent observers have noted that such incidents risk deepening polarisation and complicating the restoration of a stable, inclusive political environment.

For JASAD, the raid adds to a history of office-related pressures. Party statements in previous months had already highlighted vandalism of district offices and a decision to stay outside certain electoral processes. Saturday’s events may reinforce internal debates about organisational security and political strategy in a highly charged atmosphere.

Police have indicated that the operation remains under review and that subsequent legal steps will rest on the findings from questioning and verification. No immediate statements from higher political leadership of either BNP or the government were available at the time of this report. The situation in Gulistan quietened after the initial detentions, but the political reverberations are likely to continue as more details on the identities of those held emerge.