CHITTAGONG, Jan 16: The army on Tuesday arrested a senior Bangladesh Nationalist Party official in a crackdown on underworld-linked politicians after a state of emergency was imposed last week, a spokesman said.

Dastagir Chowdhury, general secretary of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)'s southeastern Chittagong city unit, was arrested from his residence, the armed forces spokesman said.

“Chowdhury is a godfather. He harboured terrorists in Chittagong,” the spokesman alleged.

Chowdhury is a former deputy mayor of Chittagong city council.

The BNP led the outgoing government which ruled the country until last October.

The caretaker government that took over on Oct 29 to organise elections within three months stood down last week after postponing the polls and imposing the emergency. A new interim government has now taken power.

Media reports said earlier this week that some BNP and main opposition Awami League leaders had gone into hiding after the army launched the crackdown following last week's emergency.

The military also arrested a top Chittagong port union leader for allegedly creating “unrest” in the country's main port, as well as three city council commissioners.

The union leader, Nurullah Bahar, is also a top-ranking leader of the labour wing of the BNP. The three commissioners are Awami League officials.—AFP