Khaleda Zia's youngest son arrested

Dhaka, Apr 16 (UNI) The army-led joint forces arrested Bangladesh former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's youngest son Arafat Rahman Koko from their Dhaka Cantonment residence late last night.

On March 7, the joint forces arrested Khaleda's eldest son Tarique Rahman from the same house on a charge of extorting Tk one crore from a businessman when her mother was in power.

Specific charge against Koko could not be ascertained. He is now being interrogated by the army intelligence agency. He might be produced in court later today.

Local media reports said Khaleda Zia, who ruled the country until October 2006, is virtually confined to her Cantonment residence.

Restrictions have been imposed on her movement. There are reports that Khaleda is under tremendous pressure from the military-backed current interim government to leave the country.

Newspaper reports said the present government does not want another former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to return to Bangladesh from the United States. Hasina told CNN that she will return to Dhaka on April 23 to face an extortion case of Tk three crore filed by a Bangladeshi executive of Malaysian-based power company Westmont.

The caretaker government, led by Chief Advisor Fakhruddin Ahmed who assumed power on January 12 under the State of Emergency, launched warning on corruption by politicians and abuse of power.

Dozens of former ministers and members of parliament belonging to Khaleda's Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Hasina's Awami League were arrested in the last three months on charges of corruption.

UNI