14 June 2016

News Story: Bangladesh arrests over 8,000 people in anti-militant drive

DHAKA, June 13 (Xinhua) -- Another 3, 245 more people have been arrested in the third day of Bangladesh's on-going week-long anti-militant drive, bringing the total number of arrestees to over 8,000, a police official said Monday.

A. K. M. Kamrul Ahsan, a Bangladeshi police spokesman told journalists that "3,245 people including 34 militants across the country were detained as part of the drive in the last 24 hours till 6:00 a.m. (local time) Monday."

Police earlier detained 5, 324 people, including 85 suspected militants in the first 48 hours of the clampdown against militants.

Among the 119 suspected militants arrested in the three days, most are reportedly members of the banned militant outfit Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB).

JMB, campaigning for establishment of Islamic rule in Bangladesh, carried out a series of bombings in 63 out of the country's 64 districts, including the capital of Dhaka on Aug. 17, 2005, leaving two people dead and 150 others injured.

Read the full story at Xinhua