Of them, 110 were arrested under DMP Ordinance (not under section 86), 297 in regular cases, 33 under section 54 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and 70 in block raids.

Earlier the High Court (HC) on Wednesday issued an injunction against the ongoing blanket arrests of opposition adherents and apolitical people alike under Section 86 of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Ordinance until October 3.

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, however, on Thursday modified the High Court order.

Police launched the mass arrest drive on September 21 in the run-up to the October 3 grand rally of the main opposition Awami League (AL) and its allies.

Almost all the arrestees are either the grass-roots level activists of AL and its front organisations or innocent commoners, sources said.

DMP Commissioner Ashraful Huda yesterday told The Daily Star that the ongoing drive is a routine one to arrest criminals, who stand accused in different cases and have arrest warrants issued against them.

He, however, said police would uphold the Higher Court's order in arresting people.

Meanwhile, police in last 24 hours till six in the morning yesterday arrested 1999 people including two Dhaka-based listed criminals across the country. Of the arrestees, 676 are accused in various cases while 1304 were held with warrants issued for their arrests, said a Press Information Department handout.

BSS adds: The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Thursday modified the High Court order on 'mass arrest'.

A vacation bench of the High Court on September 29 asked the government not to arrest any person under section 86 of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Ordinance till October 3 after an application moved by Ain O Shalish Kendra and other human rights organisations.

The Appellate Division yesterday modified the High Court order directing the Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Inspector General of Police and the Commissioner of DMP not to arrest any person under the section 86 of the DMP Ordinance unless he or she is found with arms or any dangerous house-breaking tools between sunset and sunrise without any satisfactory excuse.

This order shall remain valid till disposal of the High Court's injunction.

Chamber Judge of the Appellate Division Justice MA Aziz passed the order after hearing a government application for stay of the High Court order.

Additional Attorney General AJ Mohammad Ali submitted that if the High Court order is not modified it would be tantamount to passing a blanket order.

Dr M Zahir stood for Ain O Shalish Kendra and others.

Deputy Attorney General Helal Uddin Mollah, Assistant Attorneys General Robiul Karim, Mohammad Abdul Baset and Razik Al Jalil represented the state.