DHAKA, 18 April 2007 — Bangladesh’s former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia may head into exile in the latest political twist since an army-backed government began a drive against corruption and the country’s entrenched power elite.

Khaleda’s youngest son Arafat Rahman was released early yesterday as part of a deal with the government for her family to go abroad while the high court stayed hearing in an extortion case against her eldest son Tareque Rahman.

The court asked the government to explain why the extortion case against Tareque should not be quashed.

A close associate of Khaleda confirmed that her “departure is imminent” and said she made the deal with the government out of frustration over lack of support from top officials of her political party.

But another former prime minister, Hasina Wajed, who has been charged with murder and extortion, has vowed to return home from the United States to contest what she called the “false and fake cases” against her. Her party, Awami League, has asked the government to ensure her security when she arrives on April 23.

Leading newspapers said Arafat’s release was part of a deal with the government for Khaleda’s family to go into exile in a Gulf country.

The interim government’s acting law and information ministry chief Mainul Husein did not comment directly on the reports but said yesterday: “We will not obstruct anyone who wants to go abroad.”

On Arafat’s release, he told reporters: “Law enforcers can release anyone if charges are not strong enough against him. Just taking him away for interrogation does not necessarily mean he will be jailed.”

Khaleda’s close associate, who declined to be identified, quoted her as saying: “I am frustrated as I have not received desired support and sympathy from my party while I myself and my family are going through a disastrous time.”

The associate said that Khaleda added: “So I have decided to go, as the government wants.” Khaleda had talked to several followers — who were not among the high-ups of her Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) — by telephone, and “she even wept,” another associate said.

“We must get rid of family politics, this is the root of bad politics which leads to corruption,” Husein said.

Some officials, who asked not to be identified, said the government might want Hasina out of the country as well as Khaleda.