Asked about US reaction to the arrest of senior Awami League and BNP leaders, the spokesman would not comment on the specifics of any case, but said "the right to due process is a basic democratic norm".

Stressing the need for informing the arrested people of the charges, he said, "There has been press speculation that Awami League General Secretary Abdul Jalil has been arrested in response to his call for lifting the ban on political activity--a call that we in the US embassy have also been making."

However, the spokesman said: "I would hope that this speculation is groundless and that he (Jalil) has not been arrested for calling for basic democratic rights."

Commenting on the arrest of politicians, a spokeswoman for the British high commission said, "Essentially it is an internal matter. We hope the government will follow due process."