Over 10,000 arrested in Bangladesh crackdown: police

At least 10,000 people have been detained over the past week in a major crackdown on crime in emergency-ruled Bangladesh, the country's police chief told AFP Wednesday. National police chief Nur Mohammad said the operation, which is expected to last one month, was aimed at improving security ahead of the country's scheduled return to democracy with elections by the end of the year.

But he rejected complaints from Bangladesh's main political parties, who have been sidelined by the army-backed government, that it was their members and supporters who were being rounded up.

"It's part of a month-long nationwide special drive against crime. We have just become a bit more aggressive than what we usually do on a normal day," said Mohammad.

The police chief said more than 1,700 people had been detained over the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of arrests to more than 10,000 since the crackdown was launched on the night of May 28.

"We are arresting only those against whom there are specific allegations, cases or warrants. Many of them are smugglers and owners of illegal arms. There is no political motivation behind the arrests," he said.

Bangladesh's two main political parties -- the Awami League of Sheikh Hasina Wajed and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) of Khaleda Zia -- have accused the emergency government of "repression."

"The mass arrests will only jeopardise the elections. Arrests and repression will put the government in a confrontation against the people," Sheikh Hasina, who is herself in detention, was quoted as saying by her lawyer Kamrul Islam.