Bangladesh: Police arrest 5,000 after machete attacks on minorities and secularists

Police in Bangladesh have arrested 5,324 people following a series of deadly attacks against secularists, liberals and religious minorities. The arrests across the country came after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina pledged "each and every" killer would be caught.

An elderly Hindu priest was found hacked to death in rice fields in Pabna district on Friday and a Christian grocer killed in a machete attack near a church days before. Isis has claimed responsibility for the murder of the Hindu man, as well as several other attacks.

Among those arrested are 85 suspected Islamist radicals, along with hundreds of potetntial criminals with outstanding warrants.

Prime Minister Hasina told a meeting of her ruling Awami League party as quoted by Sky News: "It may take time, but God willing, we will be able to bring them under control.

"Where will the criminals hide? Each and every killer will be brought to book."

The Bangladeshi government has been criticised for its reaction to the attacks, and of using the arrests to clamp down on political opponents. It has previously expressed doubt over claims of responsibility for the attacks by Isis, and claims they are the work of domestic groups.

Among those arrested is the man accused of killing Mahmuda Begum, the wife of an anti-terror police chief who was gunned down in front of her four-year-old child two weeks ago.