2007: A catastrophic year for politicians
Tuesday, 1 January 2008
The year 2007 is seen as a catastrophic year for the country's politicians as the most high profile ones, including the two prima donnas - Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina - were put behind bars on graft charges, reports UNB.
The nemesis befell the politicians as the military backed caretaker government upon assuming office on January 11 under the state of emergency launched a crackdown on corruption to cleanse the country's politics ahead of the next general elections.
Khaleda and Hasina, the two former Prime Ministers who ruled the country in turn since 1991 until 2006, are now facing trials on charge of corruption during their tenure of office.
Apart from politicians, a number of business tycoons and top ranking retired bureaucrats have also been landed in jail on charges of corruption and tax evasion.
If the two detained leaders, Khaleda and Hasina, are convicted for at least two years, they would be disqualified for contesting the next elections scheduled to be held before December 2008.
Khaleda's two influential sons, Tarique Rahman and Arafat Rahman, were also arrested on corruption charges.
Excepting Dhaka City Corporation Mayor Sadek Hossain Khoka, all city corporations' mayors were arrested on charge of corruption.
Belying all speculations about sending Hasina and Khaleda to exile, the army-led joint forces arrested Hasina, president of Awami League, on July 16 from her Dhanmondi residence on charge of extorting Tk 30 million (3.0 crore). The case was filed by Azam J Chowdhury, managing director of the East Coast Private Trading Ltd.
Hasina's political rival, Khaleda, also chairperson of BNP, was arrested along with her younger son Arafat from her house in Dhaka Cantonment on September 3 on charge of corruption.
Soon after their arrest, the government set up two makeshift jails in the parliament area on security reasons where the two former Prime Ministers have been put up.
On February 3, the joint forces took into custody a number of political bigwigs including Barrister Nazmul Huda, Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir, Salauddin Quader Chowdhury, Mohammad Nasim, ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury, Engr. Mosharraf Hossain, Tariqul Islam, Mirza Abbas, Mir Nasiruddin, Tarique Rahman, Amanullah Aman, Salman F Rahman, Mosaddak Ali Falu, Nasiruddin Pintu, Ali Asgar Lobi, Ruhul Kuddus Talukder Dulu, Mufti Shahidul Islam, Naser Rahman and Salauddin Ahmad. They all are still languishing behind bars.
Businessmen Atiqullah Khan Masud, Nurul Islam Babul and Gias Uddin Al-Mamun, former power secretary ANH Akhter Hossain and CBA leader BM Bakir were, among other prominent figures, arrested by the joint forces mainly on corruption charges.
Tariq Rahman, BNP senior joint secretary general and elder son of Khaleda Zia, was arrested on March 7 on graft charges.
On the same day, the joint forces also held former health minister and a top BNP leader Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Chittagong City Mayor and Awami League leader ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury and former Jamaat MP Abu Taher.
The joint forces nabbed Awami League presidium member Kazi Zafrullah and former chairman of Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation Syed Taimur Alam Khondokar on April 16, followed by the arrest of former law minister Barrister Moudud Ahmed on April 13 and Brig Gen (retd) Hannan Shah on May 14.
Hannan Shah was later released on bail from Kashimpur jail but was re-arrested from his Mohakhali DOHS residence on charge of breaking emergency rules on November 7.
The army-led joint forces arrested a number of BNP and Awami League leaders in their continued drive from May 28 to May 29. Most of the heavyweights were picked up in raids on their homes or business offices in the capital.
They are : Awami League general secretary Abdul Jalil, former state minister for home affairs Lutfozzaman Babar, ex-MP and Partex Group chairman MA Hashem, former commerce minister and BNP leader Air Vice-Marshal (rtd) Altaf Hossain Chowdhury, Sylhet City Mayor Badruddin Ahmed Kamran, Barisal City Mayor and BNP leader Mujibur Rahman Sarwar, former minister of the Awami League government and MP in the last parliament Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, former state minister of Awami League Rafiqul Islam and former FBCCI president Abdul Awal Mintoo.
Besides, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has so far filed 141 first information reports (FIRs) against individuals like former Prime Ministers Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina and top leaders of both BNP and Awami League. About 69 charge sheets have already been submitted in courts.
About 53 cases filed by the ACC are currently being tried while verdicts have already been given in 18 cases convicting the accused.
The convicts have been awarded various jail-terms as well as fined and their ill-gotten properties have been confiscated.
The nemesis befell the politicians as the military backed caretaker government upon assuming office on January 11 under the state of emergency launched a crackdown on corruption to cleanse the country's politics ahead of the next general elections.
Khaleda and Hasina, the two former Prime Ministers who ruled the country in turn since 1991 until 2006, are now facing trials on charge of corruption during their tenure of office.
Apart from politicians, a number of business tycoons and top ranking retired bureaucrats have also been landed in jail on charges of corruption and tax evasion.
If the two detained leaders, Khaleda and Hasina, are convicted for at least two years, they would be disqualified for contesting the next elections scheduled to be held before December 2008.
Khaleda's two influential sons, Tarique Rahman and Arafat Rahman, were also arrested on corruption charges.
Excepting Dhaka City Corporation Mayor Sadek Hossain Khoka, all city corporations' mayors were arrested on charge of corruption.
Belying all speculations about sending Hasina and Khaleda to exile, the army-led joint forces arrested Hasina, president of Awami League, on July 16 from her Dhanmondi residence on charge of extorting Tk 30 million (3.0 crore). The case was filed by Azam J Chowdhury, managing director of the East Coast Private Trading Ltd.
Hasina's political rival, Khaleda, also chairperson of BNP, was arrested along with her younger son Arafat from her house in Dhaka Cantonment on September 3 on charge of corruption.
Soon after their arrest, the government set up two makeshift jails in the parliament area on security reasons where the two former Prime Ministers have been put up.
On February 3, the joint forces took into custody a number of political bigwigs including Barrister Nazmul Huda, Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir, Salauddin Quader Chowdhury, Mohammad Nasim, ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury, Engr. Mosharraf Hossain, Tariqul Islam, Mirza Abbas, Mir Nasiruddin, Tarique Rahman, Amanullah Aman, Salman F Rahman, Mosaddak Ali Falu, Nasiruddin Pintu, Ali Asgar Lobi, Ruhul Kuddus Talukder Dulu, Mufti Shahidul Islam, Naser Rahman and Salauddin Ahmad. They all are still languishing behind bars.
Businessmen Atiqullah Khan Masud, Nurul Islam Babul and Gias Uddin Al-Mamun, former power secretary ANH Akhter Hossain and CBA leader BM Bakir were, among other prominent figures, arrested by the joint forces mainly on corruption charges.
Tariq Rahman, BNP senior joint secretary general and elder son of Khaleda Zia, was arrested on March 7 on graft charges.
On the same day, the joint forces also held former health minister and a top BNP leader Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Chittagong City Mayor and Awami League leader ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury and former Jamaat MP Abu Taher.
The joint forces nabbed Awami League presidium member Kazi Zafrullah and former chairman of Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation Syed Taimur Alam Khondokar on April 16, followed by the arrest of former law minister Barrister Moudud Ahmed on April 13 and Brig Gen (retd) Hannan Shah on May 14.
Hannan Shah was later released on bail from Kashimpur jail but was re-arrested from his Mohakhali DOHS residence on charge of breaking emergency rules on November 7.
The army-led joint forces arrested a number of BNP and Awami League leaders in their continued drive from May 28 to May 29. Most of the heavyweights were picked up in raids on their homes or business offices in the capital.
They are : Awami League general secretary Abdul Jalil, former state minister for home affairs Lutfozzaman Babar, ex-MP and Partex Group chairman MA Hashem, former commerce minister and BNP leader Air Vice-Marshal (rtd) Altaf Hossain Chowdhury, Sylhet City Mayor Badruddin Ahmed Kamran, Barisal City Mayor and BNP leader Mujibur Rahman Sarwar, former minister of the Awami League government and MP in the last parliament Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, former state minister of Awami League Rafiqul Islam and former FBCCI president Abdul Awal Mintoo.
Besides, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has so far filed 141 first information reports (FIRs) against individuals like former Prime Ministers Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina and top leaders of both BNP and Awami League. About 69 charge sheets have already been submitted in courts.
About 53 cases filed by the ACC are currently being tried while verdicts have already been given in 18 cases convicting the accused.
The convicts have been awarded various jail-terms as well as fined and their ill-gotten properties have been confiscated.