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DHAKA, Dec 13 (Reuters) - Police arrested Bangladeshi journalist Enamul Haque Chowdhury on Friday, accusing him of fabricating comments attributed to the country's interior minister used in a Reuters story on a series of bomb blasts earlier this month, state news agency BSS reported.

The agency said that Chowdhury, a senior BSS reporter and a part-time journalist in Reuters Dhaka bureau, had been accused of "disseminating a fabricated news story which quoted the home (interior) minister without communicating with him".

"Such (a) malicious story destroyed the country's image abroad and threatened Bangladesh's relations with friendly nations," BSS quoted a police statement as saying.

Reuters confirmed the arrest of Chowdhury, who was not immediately available for comment.

Reuters on Thursday withdrew five stories dated December 7 and 8 regarding the explosions in which 17 people were killed in the northern town of Mymenshingh as they celebrated the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. The international agency said it could no longer vouch for the accuracy of the stories.

Home Minister Altaf Hossain Chowdhury had denied speaking with the reporter, in which the minister allegedly commented on possible suspects in the blasts.

Reuters said in a statement: "Reuters has begun an investigation into the reporting of a series of bomb blasts in Bangladesh and its stories issued on December 7 and 8. A senior member of Reuters editorial management team is en route to Dhaka to conduct this investigation.

"Reuters has already withdrawn these stories which contained remarks attributed to Interior Minister Altaf Hossain Chowdhury. Reuters can no longer vouch for the accuracy of the remarks."

Police briefly detained the journalist's wife and brother-in-law early on Friday.

Police said Chowdhury -- no relation to the minister -- was himself detained after being questioned.

Following his arrest, police went to the Reuters office in Dhaka and took away photo-copies of news items relating to the case. 

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