37 militants detained in Bangladeshi clampdown

DHAKA: The Bangladeshi police have detained 37 suspects in the first 24 hours of a clampdown against militants since Friday across the country.

The Bangladesh police said in a statement on Saturday that 3,192 people have been arrested in the capital Dhaka and elsewhere in the country, Xinhua reported.

An official said the police around the country had detained 37 suspected militants as part of the nationwide drive.

Inspector General of Police AKM Shahidul Hoque said the week-long clampdown was aimed at dismantling all terrorist outfits and their networks in the country.

On Friday, a Hindu monastery worker was found killed in Pabna district, some 216 km west of Dhaka.

Bangladesh has been witnessing a surge in violent attacks in recent years.

A number of secularist writers, bloggers and publishers have been killed or seriously injured in attacks carried out by extremists since 2013.

IANS