Bangladesh freezes bank accounts of ex-minister

DHAKA, March 5 (Reuters) Bangladesh's National Board of Revenue asked banks today to freeze the accounts of former law and parliamentary affairs minister Moudud Ahmed, his wife and children, officials said.

The order was issued as the NBR checked possible ''tax dodging'' by the ex-minister and his family, as part of a campaign against corruption by political leaders.

Moudud was a key figure in the government of the most recent prime minister, Begum Khaleda Zia, who ended her five-year term in October and handed power to an interim government in charge of holding a new election.

In the course of an anti-corruption drive by the interim authority, headed by former central bank chief Fakhruddin Ahmed, security forces have arrested more than 150 senior political figures, including ex-ministers.

Moudud, who has not been arrested, was not immediately available for comment.

The interim government has already seized property and frozen the bank accounts of many of the arrested politicians, who are being investigated for possible trial.

Bangladesh has been under a state of emergency since January. 11, imposed following weeks of countrywide violence mostly between activists of Khaleda's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the Awami League led by bitter rival Sheikh Hasina, also a former prime minister.

ELECTION TIMING The violence and political impasse between the two groups led to an indefinite postponement of parliamentary elections that had been planned for Jan. 22.

No new date for an election has been announced and the feuding political parties remained poles apart on Monday over the timing of one.

The BNP said it wanted the election held by July 11, six months after a state of emergency was declared. But the Awami League said the poll should be held by June.

The Awami League gave no reason for its choice of timing, but analysts said it was probably to avoid the storm season that usually hits around late June or early July.

Both groups conveyed their choices to the Election Commission, which said it could not start preparations for the vote until the army-backed interim government had set a date.

All political activities -- except for indoor meetings -- are banned under the emergency rule.

REUTERS PDM PM1843