Bangladesh Kills 86, Arrests 7,000 in Anti-Drugs Campaign

FILE: The body of one of the three suspects killed in an alleged "buy-bust" operation by the authorities in the continuing "War on Drugs" campaign of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte lies on the ground by the railroad tracks before dawn Friday, Sept. 30, 2016 in Caloocan city, north of Manila, Philippines. Duterte raised the rhetoric over his bloody anti-crime war to a new level Friday, comparing it to Hitler and the Holocaust and saying he would be "happy to slaughter" 3 million addicts. AP Photo/Bullit Marquez

DHAKA—Bangladesh police have killed at least 86 people and arrested about 7,000 since launching a crackdown on drug trafficking this month, officials said on Monday, raising fears from rights activists of a Philippines-style war on drugs.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina approved the anti-narcotics campaign in early May to tackle the spread of ya ba, as methamphetamine is widely known in Asia, and worth an estimated $3 billion annually, government officials say.