Bangladesh opposition's five top leaders in police remand

Five top leaders of Bangladesh's opposition detained last week were Thursday sent to eight days' police remand in two cases filed against them for allegedly attempting to kill policemen and creating violence in the capital city.

Dhaka's Metropolitan Magistrate Rezaul Karim rejected their bail petitions and gave police five days in one case and three days in the other case, Xinhua reported.

Accused Moudud Ahmed, M.K. Anwar and Rafiqul Islam, who are members of the standing committee, the highest policy-making body, of former prime minister Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) were arrested in connection with the two cases filed Sep 24 and Nov 6, respectively.

The accused, who also included BNP chairperson Khaleda's advisor Abdul Awal Mintoo and her special assistant Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas, were arrested during a surprise crackdown on opposition activists Nov 8 night and during the early hours of the subsequent day.

Police arrested the BNP leaders hours after Khaleda's opposition alliance called for a 72-hour nationwide strike beginning Nov 10 morning, demanding national polls slated for early 2014 under a non-party caretaker government.

Protesting the arrest of the top leaders, the opposition alliance extended its 72-hour shutdown by 12 hours.

Terming the cases as "false and fabricated", BNP spokesman Rizvi Ahmed had earlier claimed that the arrests were made as part of the government's conspiracy to hold a one-party election.