DHAKA, 29 May 2007 — Bangladesh security forces detained the general secretary of the country’s powerful political party and the home minister of the immediate past government yesterday, party officials said, as the army-backed interim government moved to act against corruption.
“Abdul Jalil of the Awami League was picked up from his private office at the capital’s Motijheel commercial area,” said a spokesman for the party, headed by former Prime Minister Hasina Wajed. Police declined to comment.
Police also picked up Lutfuzzaman Babar, former home minister in the government of Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, and two former lawmakers from her Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), the party officials said.
Babar and Abul Hashem, a leading businessman, were taken from their homes in the city’s Gulshan area. Another lawmaker S.A. Khaleque was picked up from his Dhanmandi home.
Army-led forces also raided the residence of Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, secretary-general of BNP, but did not find him, the party officials said.
Jalil is the most senior politician held by the interim authority, headed by former central bank governor Fakhruddin Ahmed.
More than 160 key political figures have been detained since a January election was postponed due to widespread violence.
They include Tareque Rahman, elder son of Khaleda Zia, senior joint secretary-general of BNP and her heir apparent. Tareque faces charges of extortion and abuse of power.
Yesterday’s security swoop came in the wake of increasing demands by the Awami League and BNP for the lifting of emergency rule and allowing limited political activity.
An election planned for Jan. 22 was postponed indefinitely after the imposition of emergency rule, which also banned all political activity.
Journalist Sentenced
A Bangladesh court sentenced a journalist to four years in prison yesterday for taking bribe from forest officials, lawyers said.
They said security forces had arrested A.T.M. Rafique, who worked in southwestern Khulna district for a Dhaka-based daily newspaper, in early April while accepting 20,000 taka ($290) from two officials of Bangladesh Forest Department.
“The court has sentenced Rafique to four years in prison as the charges against him (of taking bribe) were proved beyond doubt,” said a registrar of a quick trial court.
Rafique was also ordered to pay a fine of 10,000 taka or to suffer imprisonment for another three months, he said. Rafique’s lawyers said they would appeal the sentence.
The forest officials told security forces that Rafique had threatened to publish corruption reports against them unless they paid the money.
Accordingly, detectives laid a trap and grabbed Rafique while he was taking the money. He is the first journalist to be convicted in Bangladesh for corruption.
Bangladesh’s army-backed interim government launched a countrywide drive in January against corrupt politicians and others as part of efforts to hold elections, expected before the end of 2008.
