AP News, January 13th, 2007
Bangladeshi police and soldiers have arrested more than 2,500 people and raided the homes of several political leaders after a new caretaker government was sworn in to quell unrest ahead of elections, police and news reports said Saturday.
Security forces arrested 2,552 people, including 195 from the capital who were detained across the country overnight Friday on "various charges," a statement released Saturday by police headquarters in Dhaka said.
The arrests and raids came after Fakhruddin Ahmed, a respected economist and former central bank governor, became head of the country's caretaker government in a bid to restore calm to a nation beset by violence amid preparations for national elections.
Authorities detained at least 20 people including some local politicians in western and northern Bangladesh, but no prominent leaders were arrested, the Prothom Alo newspaper said.
Troops and police also raided the homes of some political leaders' aides suspected of criminal activities or corruption, but made no arrests, the newspaper said.
Meanwhile, a former Awami League party lawmaker Kamal Majumder, was arrested Friday and has been jailed in the capital, Dhaka, police said.
Soldiers arrested him at his Dhaka home, said police official Jasim, who uses only one name. Jasim would not say what charges Majumder faced.
Fakhruddin Ahmed's appointment came less than 24 hours after President Iajuddin Ahmed had declared a state of emergency, postponed the Jan. 22 vote and stepped down himself as leader of the caretaker government amid often-violent protests.
No new date has been set for the elections, and fears remained of further turmoil in a country with a history of coups, military rule and violently bitter democratic politics.
A 19-party political alliance led by a former prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, launched the protests to demand a delay in the polls until the completion of electoral reforms, including a new voters' list and Iajuddin Ahmed's resignation as chief of the caretaker government.
