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More politicians arrested in Dhaka

Bangladesh's army-led security forces arrested former prime minister Khaleda Zia's son and five other politicians using emergency powers over corruption allegations, media reports said yesterday.

Zia's son Tarique Rahman, a senior leader of her Bangladesh Nationalist Party, was detained early yesterday from his mother's house in Dhaka, the ATN Bangla TV station and Daily Star newspaper reported.

Rahman is widely seen as a successor to Zia. She joined politics after her husband Ziaur Rahman, a military ruler-turned-president, was slain in a military coup in 1981.

Also yesterday, security forces arrested Khandaker Mosarraf Hossain, a former health minister and a close aide of Zia, from his residence in Dhaka's northern Gulshan District, his son Khandaker Tushar said.

Among the detainees were also the mayor of the southeastern port city of Chittagong, two former lawmakers and the leader of an Islamic party, ATN Bangla reported.

Mayor Mohiuddin Chowdhury was picked up from his house in Chittagong, 216km southeast of Dhaka, the report said.

Chowdhury is also a senior leader of the Bangladesh Awami League, headed by former prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

Late on Wednesday, security forces detained Atiqullah Khan Masud, owner of Dhaka's Janakantha daily newspaper from his office, the paper's editor Toab Khan said.

It was not known why Masud, was detained.

Officials did not explain the charges against the politicians.

The government's law adviser Moinul Hussein said earlier that the drive was targeted against those accused of graft.

Over the past few weeks, security forces arrested more than 60 politicians, including 13 former ministers.

Most of the detainees belong to the country's two major political parties -- the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and the Awami League.

Feuding between the two parties over electoral reforms triggered several months of violent street protests, prompting acting President Iajuddin Ahmed to impose the state of emergency on Jan. 11.
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