Dhaka bank robbery amid anti-crime drive

Police in the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, say an armed gang robbed a bank in broad daylight in the city's Tejgaon area.

The incident comes well into the fourth week of special operations led by the army to curb rising crime across the country.

Police officials say the gang entered the private Pubali Bank without any resistance, as the armed guard who was on duty was away from his post.

Eyewitness reports say the robbers went straight for the cash section and fled with the equivalent of about $21,000 in Bangladeshi currency.

Police have detained some bank officials for interrogation.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service