Split into groups, the crack forces carried out block raids on slum and posh areas in the capital, searching vehicles and houses till filing of this report at 1:00am today. Rab members searched around 20 houses in Banani in a drive of nearly 3 hours.

The security personnel also nabbed criminals and extortionists and recovered firearms and sharp weapons during the raids in a bid to ensure law and order during the upcoming parliamentary election.

According to a home ministry news release, police and Rab arrested over 1,700 people including 44 persons who had already been convicted of crimes, 993 others facing arrest warrants, and 668 accused in different cases in the 24 hours preceding 6:00pm yesterday.

They recovered 13 firearms, two other weapons, as many shutter guns, a pistol, three locally made guns, an airgun and 61 bullets. Eleven people were charged with illegal possession of firearms.

The army arrested 56 criminals form across the country since January 10, the release added.

In Chittagong, army personnel picked up Dastagir Chowdhury, former deputy mayor of Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) who is also a former general secretary (GS) of Chittagong city unit BNP, and Sheikh Nurullah Bahar, GS of BNP-backed Bandar CBA, from their houses in Kadamtali and Chittagong port area respectively yesterday.

The army picked up Nurullah around 4:00am and Dastagir around noon.

Both of them were taken to the temporary army camp at the city's CJKS Gymnasium for interrogation and were later handed over to police in the afternoon.

Police later produced Dastagir and Nurullah with two previously arrested AL-backed ward commissioners of Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) -- Mohammad Hossain Hiron and Md Aslam -- before the court of chief metropolitan magistrate (CMM) of Chittagong. The court sent all the four to jail, rejecting their bail prayers.

The Army arrested Hiron, commissioner of Pahartali ward, and Mohammad Aslam, commissioner of South Halishahar ward, at 12:30pm and 8:00pm respectively on Monday.

The army also picked up a man named Saifullah from Syedabad under Chandanaish upazila and Shafiul Alam from Anwara upazila headquarters in the early hours of yesterday.

Saifullah was learnt to be a local Jubo League leader while Shafiul a local BNP leader, both of whom have 'good relations' with immediate past BNP minister Jafrul Islam Chowdhury, according to sources.

Meanwhile, Arif and Shimul -- two nephews of Chittagong City Mayor ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury -- whom the troops had picked up Monday night -- were released after interrogation by the army yesterday morning.

Army personnel picked them up from their residences near the city mayor's Chasma Hill residence around 10:30pm on Monday.

Earlier, the army personnel also released Mamun after interrogation yesterday -- another nephew of the city mayor who had also been picked up on Monday night.

KHULNA
Law enforcers arrested Bagerhat district unit Jubo Dal President Fakir Tariqul Islam, who is also the chairman of Satgambuj union parishad, Senior Vice-president of district BNP Prof Ali Reza Babu, and Bagerhat Municipality Ward Commissioner Azam Mollah yesterday.

KHAGRACHHARI
The army along with police arrested AL activists Mohammad Zahir Mia and Monir Hossein with a locally made gun and knives in their possession while BNP activists Sanjib Barua and Abdul Latif were arrested from Panchhari upazila yesterday with sharp weapons in their possession.

Security sources said they also arrested another BNP activist, Mohammad Hossain, who is accused in several murder cases in Mohalchhari upazila.

All the five were later sent to jail, sources said.

SATKHIRA
The army arrested 16 people including AL-backed ward commissioners Abdus Selim of ward no 1, and Nazibullah Ailu of ward no 5, and BNP-backed union parishad chairman Rezaul Islam of Noapara union parishad under Debhata upazila.

The other arrestees are Abdul Gaffar, Tala Sadar union member, Mamun Rana Jahangir, organising secretary of district Juba Dal, and BNP leaders Karim Gazi, Moslem Fakir, Rezaul Sardar, Mofizur Rahman, Rawshan Ali, and Chhoton. The arrested AL leaders included Masud Biswas, Nuruzzaman and Krishna Pada Rishi.

The troops arrested Selim around 2:45am from his house at Katia while Rezaul, who is also the convener of Debhata upazila BNP, from his village home in Debhata at about 2:00am.

BARISAL
Seven people including Firoz Ahmed, a BNP leader who is also a Barisal City Corporation (BCC) ward commissioner, and a Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) leader were arrested in a nightlong army-led operation. Two brothers of a BNP-backed ward commissioner and two brothers-in-law of the BCC mayor were also arrested. They were handed over to police after interrogation.

The troops recovered several sharp weapons from Firoz's house, a gun and 22 rounds of different types of ammunition from the house of his son-in-law Ziauddin Sikdar who is also a ward commissioner and a BNP leader.

The army also recovered a rifle from the house of BCC mayor's brother-in-law.

PATUAKHALI
The troops arrested 19 persons including Mashiur Rahman Khan -- Patuakhali district unit Jubo Dal president and a close aide to former minister Altaf Hossain Chowdhury some JCD leaders, thugs and extortionists from different upazilas on Monday night and yesterday.

Other arrestees include wanted criminals in the Sadar upazila like Bachchu Talukdar, Shahidul, Aminul, Nannu, Sultan, Ujjal, Ismail, Masud, Mamun, Roni Howladar and Rubel Gazi, and two top armed operatives of JCD -- Sekandar Ali and Shafiqullah.

They were handed over to police after interrogation and a court later sent them to jail.

CHANDPUR
Army personnel and police arrested city BNP leader Ferdous Alam Babu, and Hainchar upazila Jubo Dal activist Masud in the early hours of yesterday.

They also raided the house of district headquarter BNP leaders Hanif Gazi and Monir Miji, but the targets had fled earlier sensing the drive in progress.

PIROJPUR
Army raided the house of Riaz Hassan, a top armed operative of local Jubo Dal and nephew of former BNP lawmaker and whip Shahidul Huq Jamal. However they failed to arrest any one from there.