Dhaka, Sept. 27 -- Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has pushed back against criticism of the raid on the Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal-JaSaD office in Dhaka's Gulistan, saying it was not intended to "harass" anyone.

The minister said the raid followed information that some members of the banned Awami League had gathered there to plan sabotage.

Most of those detained have since been released, he said at a press conference at the home ministry on Sunday.

Police detained people from the JaSaD office, led by Hasanul Haq Inu, who was convicted in a crimes-against-humanity case, on Saturday afternoon.

Several prison vans took handcuffed detainees to Paltan Police Station. Police also said they had information that Awami League activists had gathere...