Hundreds detained ahead of Bangladesh protest: Media
Local police officers in Dhaka and other cities confirmed that detentions were underway but a police spokesman denied any link to the demonstration scheduled for Monday
DHAKA, March 11, 2012 (AFP) Bangladesh police have detained hundreds of opposition activists ahead of a planned mass protest in the capital Dhaka, media reports said Sunday.
The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its allies called Monday's rally to try to force the government from power and hold elections under a neutral caretaker regime.ahead of the protest, the Prothom Alo newspaper said at least 651 peo- ple had been detained including 225 in Dhaka.
Local police officers in Dhaka and other cities confirmed that detentions were underway but a police spokesman denied any link to the demonstration scheduled for Monday.
“We are holding only those who have been wanted on different charges,” Kamrul Ahsan told AFP.
Many bus and ferry services to Dhaka were suspended on Sunday, and hotels and hostels in Dhaka were refusing to accept bookings.
spokesman Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told AFP that many hundreds of opposition activists and supporters had been detained nationwide over the last four days. “Police have been holding our officials and supporters en masse,” Alamgir said.
Opposition anger has been growing since the government, led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, last year scrapped a caretaker system for overseeing elections. The next national election is due to be held by early 2014.