Dhaka: Bangladeshi police released 21 Arakanese protesters from custody yesterday after they spent 10 hours in the police lockup, said Ko Aung Naing, one of the detained protesters.

"The police released us at 8:30 pm and we arrived home safely around midnight yesterday," he said.

The group was arrested by Bangladeshi police from outside the Indian embassy in Dhaka while they were protesting against the Indian government for the illegal detention of 34 Arakanese and Karen freedom fighters.

"We were staging a demonstration in front of the Indian embassy in Dhaka at 11 am and shouting slogans against the Indian government when the Bangladeshi police came and arrested us. Afterwards the police detained us at the Gulsan police station," Aung Naing said.

The protesters arrested were primarily UNHCR recognized refugees, including children and monks, so it is believe the police released them without pressing charges to avoid potential international criticism.

They were arrested after the Indian embassy lodged a complaint with police and called for their arrest, a police source said.

June 22 was the Global Day of Action for the 34 Arakanese and Karen freedom fighters. Many Burmese in exile staged protests in at least 20 countries, including Thailand, India, Bangladesh and Britain to demand their release.

In February 1998, members of the Arakan Army and Karen Liberation Army led by Major Khaing Raza went to an Indian island in the Andaman Archipelago to set up a naval base in keeping with an agreement with the Indian Army to monitor Chinese naval activities in the Andaman Sea.

When they arrived on the island, Indian soldiers killed Bo Raza and five other senior leaders in the group in cold blood. The 34 freedom fighters were arrested and have been in custody since then. They are currently lodged in a prison in Kolkata.