Claiming that the ongoing crackdown on militants was not politically motivated, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan yesterday said the drive was being conducted as part of security measures following recent target killings and also on the occasion of Ramadan and ahead of Eid.

In the face of heavy criticism over the mass arrests across the country, police now say their weeklong special crackdown will focus on militants only.

Incidents of police arresting people facing no criminal charges run counter to a Supreme Court verdict against the police's century-old discretionary powers of arrest on suspicion.

Muhammad Jahidul Islam is an activist of Bangladesh Chhatra League. His entire family strongly supports the Awami League. Yet, in the case filed against Jahid, Sub-Inspector Anwarul Islam of Khoksa Police Station mentioned that the accused was held on suspicion that he and some others had met to plan subversive activities to topple the government.

Milon Hossain and his two friends were having fun standing by a road at Mominpur Adibashipara around 7:30pm on Saturday. Minutes before, he closed his small hardwire shop at Mominpur Bazar in Natore's Naldanga upazila.