Bangladeshi police detain 24 more suspected militants

Bangladeshi police said Monday they have detained 24 more suspected militants in the hunt for culprits following a series of bombings in two towns last week, as the death toll from the attacks rose to 14. Anwarul Azim, a lawyer, died Monday from wounds he suffered in Tuesday's attack in Gazipur, a town outside Dhaka, doctors said. Azim's death brought to 10 the number of people killed in the blasts in Gazipur on Tuesday and Thursday, which also injured dozens of people. Four other people, including two suspected bombers, died in blasts Tuesday in Chittagong, 215 kilometers (135 miles) south of Dhaka.

The attacks have been blamed on the banned Islamic group Jumutul Mujahideen Bangladesh, which seeks to introduce harsh Islamic laws in Muslim-majority Bangladesh, which is governed by secular laws. Police investigators said more than 150 suspected members of the banned group have been questioned so far about the blasts, including 24 men who were detained in the latest sweep Sunday. The investigators spoke on condition of anonymity under police briefing rules.

They said some of the detainees were picked up from Islamic schools. So far, no one has been charged with any offense.

Bangladesh has been shaken by a string of bombings this year targeting government buildings and court houses. The militants have accused the judiciary of promoting secular laws instead of Islamic Sharia rule, reports the AP. I.L.