Bangladesh police has detained over 8,500 people in the last four days of nationwide crackdown on extremist violence against activists and religious minorities including Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, and atheists, according to recent reports.
Of those arrested, about 120 are suspected militants, while the rest are being held for keeping firearms or for their involvement in drugs and other crimes, according to media reports.
The large-scale response of police is believed to be an aftermath of the murder of wife of the superintendent who had led the raids against terrorist groups. One of the arrested, Shahjahan Robin is the suspected murderer of Mahmuda Begum who was stabbed and shot when she was taking her son to school.
Bangladesh's opposition say that government crackdown on activists is a tool to repress political dissent.
"In the name of an antimilitant drive, the government is arresting opposition activists, including BNP [Bangladesh Nationalist Party] and other antigovernment people," Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, BNP's senior joint secretary general, was quoted as saying by The New York Times.
About five militants from Jama'atul Mujahedeen Bangladesh, a group that orchestrated a majority of attacks, have been killed in the past five days. Most of the attacks were also claimed by the Islamic State or al Qaeda. However, the government says that they were carried out by home-grown terrorist organizations.
Junior foreign minister Shahriar Alam told Reuters last month that the Islamic State was falsely claiming the attacks to fuel Islamic radicalization, but the government had strong evidence to believe that the attacks were perpetrated by domestic groups.
"It may take time, but God willing, we will be able to bring them under control," Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said during a meeting with her Awami League party committee. "Where will the criminals hide? Each and every killer will be brought to book."
Over 40 people were murdered in the past year, and government says that this step was a much-needed measure to restore law and order situation in the country.
"The followers of minority religious faiths are being attacked along with other ordinary citizens as part of an orchestrated plot to embarrass the government but these incidents could in no way affect the interfaith harmony in Bangladesh," Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu said.
"We don't need to seek assistance of any foreign country or government for the security of our minority communities the (Bangladesh) government by principle is secular and it is awake 24 hours," he said.
