Bangladesh detains politicians in corruption drive
Source: Reuters
(Adds media tycoon held, details) By Anis Ahmed DHAKA, Feb 4 (Reuters) - Security forces in Bangladesh detained seven ex-ministers and other influential figures including a media tycoon on Sunday in a drive against corruption, officials and media reports said. It was the biggest such action against high-profile figures since the declaration of a state of emergency on Jan. 11 that followed weeks of street protests and pre-election violence. An election planned for late January was postponed, and the interim government charged with holding the poll has vowed to root out corruption from politics and the administration. On Sunday evening, security forces detained young politician and media tycoon Musaddek Ali, a former lawmaker who owns two television channels, N-tv and R-tv, and a daily newspaper. Others held included senior figures from both of Bangladesh's main political parties -- the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the Awami League. Musaddek, who also owns a number of businesses in banking and other sectors and was a political secretary to BNP chief Begum Khaleda Zia, was picked up after leaving the newspaper office, televisionn reports said. Mainul Husein, law and information adviser to the interim authority, said they had been arrested on specific charges, but he would not give details. The drive against the "corrupt politicians and godfathers (of crime gangs) will continue," he said. Late on Sunday, Bangladesh named former finance secretary A.T.M. Shamsul Huda as the new chief election commissioner, replacing M.A. Aziz who resigned last month bowing to charges of bias towards Khaleda, the most recent prime minister. Those detained before dawn included former interior minister Mohammad Nasim and former state minister Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir of the Awami League. BNP figures detained included former communications minister Nazmul Huda and four ex-state ministers. BNP Secretary-General Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan expressed concern over the arrests, saying that no one should be harassed without specific charges being brought. Security officials confirmed the detentions and said the drive would continue as part of the government's bid to organise a fair, peaceful and credible election. ARMY BEHIND THE SCENES The interim authority headed by former central bank chief Fakhruddin Ahmed is strongly backed by the armed forces, which are acting behind the scenes instead of intervening directly. The BNP is headed by Khaleda, who stepped down last year to allow an interim government to hold elections. The Awami League is led by her rival and predecessor, Sheikh Hasina. The two women have alternated as the impoverished South Asian nation's prime minister since they toppled military ruler Hossain Mohammad Ershad in a people's revolt in 1990. Now bitter foes, they have not spoken to each other for over a decade. Analysts and civil society leaders say they ruled like "dictators" and their epic animosity has kept the country divided in every aspect of politics and business. "They believe in the policy of divide and rule," said a government official, who asked not to be named. Joint forces made up of the police, the elite Rapid Action battalion and the army have arrested nearly 5,000 people including politicians, criminals and suspected Islamist militants since the state of emergency was declared. Security sources said several other influential figures from both parties were also detained. Among them were Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury, a former lawmaker and Khaleda's parliamentary affairs adviser, and the country's leading businessman and Hasina associate Salman F. Rahman. (Additional reporting by Nizam Ahmed, Azad Majumder and Masud Karim)
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