AP News, February 6th, 2007
Nineteen Bangladeshi politicians arrested under emergency powers were sent to jail for a month on Monday, a lawyer said.
Security forces used the emergency powers on Sunday to detain the senior politicians, including former government ministers, members of parliament and top political aides from the country's two major parties, news reports and family members of those detained said.
No specific charges have yet been laid against any of them, but they are suspected of corruption and anti-state activities, a lawyer for one of the detainees said Monday on condition of anonymity because of official briefing rules.
The detainees were kept overnight at a police station in the capital, Dhaka, and were brought to court Monday, the lawyer said. Dhaka's chief magistrate court rejected bail for the 19 and ordered them to be detained for a month, she said.
Eight of the detainees, including ex-minister Nazmul Huda and Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury, are close aides of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, the United News of Bangladesh news agency said.
Those arrested also included two former ministers and a couple of aides from the Awami League party, headed by Zia's predecessor and main rival, Sheikh Hasina, the agency said.
On Tuesday, security forces arrested two more Zia aides. Tariqul Islam, a former forest and environment minister, and Rashiduzzaman Millat, a former lawmaker, were detained in raids on their homes, ATN Bangla TV and their families said. There was no immediate comment from the security forces.
Feuding between Hasina and Zia over electoral reforms has triggered violent street protests in recent months, forcing President Iajuddin Ahmed to impose a state of emergency on Jan. 11.
National elections had been scheduled for Jan. 22 but were postponed due to the unrest, which has left 34 people dead. No new election date has been set.
The state of emergency bans political activity and gives security forces sweeping powers to detain anyone without warrants.
Protests erupted in late October when Zia ended her five-year term and handed over power to an interim government to prepare for the parliamentary elections.
Hasina's alliance organized the demonstrations alleging that the Election Commission was biased toward Zia's party and was planning to rig the elections. The demonstrators demanded electoral reforms and the resignation of disputed election officials. Last week, all five senior officials at the Election Commission stepped down.
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Associated Press Writer Farid Hossain contributed to this report.
