Police have arrested around 3,000 leaders and activists of the now-banned Awami League and its affiliated bodies from flash processions in the capital over the past ten months, according to the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP).

DMP’s Deputy Commissioner (Media and Public Relations) Mohammad Talebur Rahman shared the information while responding to a question at a press briefing held at the DMP Media Centre on Minto Road on Friday.

He said Awami League members, despite the ban on political activities, have been organizing flash processions in different parts of Dhaka to show their presence.

So far this year, until today, around 3,000 leaders and activists of the Awami League and its associate organizations have been arrested for participating in these unlawful gatherings,” Talebur Rahman said.

He added that those who directly joined the processions were detained, while many others from outside Dhaka also attempted to join these sudden demonstrations.

According to the DMP official, some individuals are financing these activities, paying specific amounts to participants for each procession. “Their main objective is to demonstrate that they are still active, to spread videos and photos of the processions on social media, and to create panic among the city’s residents,” he said.

He further noted that in some cases, small explosions—such as cocktail blasts—were used during these processions to draw attention to their activities.