The Hindu : Front Page : Khaleda's son held, Hasina home searched

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Friday, Mar 09, 2007
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Khaleda's son held, Hasina home searched

Haroon Habib

PHOTO: AFP

Begum Khaleda Zia's son Tareq Rahman and the former Health Minister, Khondokar Mosharraf Hossain, who have been detained.

DHAKA: In a series of major developments in Bangladesh since Wednesday night, the Army-led forces detained the eldest son of the former Prime Minister, Khaleda Zia, raided the residence of Awami League president Sheikh Hasina and arrested scores of senior politicians.

While no formal charges were brought against those detained, the authorities said the arrests were part of the crackdown on crime and corruption involving top politicians

Mr. Tareq Rahman, senior joint secretary-general of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, who was at the centre of a crime and corruption-related controversy, was arrested from his mother's residence at the Cantonment here at 1.10 a.m. on Thursday.

There were allegations that Mr. Rahman ran a parallel government from "Hawa Bhaban" during his mother's rule. The party also touted him as the "next prime minister."

His close friend and business partner Giasuddin Al Mamoon was detained after the present caretaker government was installed on January 11.

Security forces searched Ms. Hasina's Dhanmandi residence twice on Wednesday night. Her security officer Maj. (retd.) Moyeen told reporters that Army personnel entered "Sudha Sadan" at 11.30 p.m. and checked the visitors' register.

Other detainees include the former BNP Health Minister, Dr. Khondokar Mosharraf Hossain, Chittagong City Mayor and Awami League leader A.B.M. Mohiuddin Chowdhury, the former lawmaker of the Jamaat-e-Islami, Syed Abdullah Mohammad Taher, Islami Oikya Jot leader Mufti Izharul Islam and owner and Editor of Janakantha Atiqullah Khan Masud.

Earlier, owner of another popular daily Jugantor Nurul Islam Babul was arrested under the emergency rules.

Dr. Mosharraf is a close aide of Begum Khaleda, while Mr. Chowdhury is the Awami League's Chittagong city unit president.

More than 35 politicians and businessmen have been arrested for their alleged involvement in crime and corruption since Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed's Government took over on January 12, a day after President Iajuddin Ahmed declared emergency.

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