Bangladesh jails journalist for corruption

KHULNA, Bangladesh, May 28 (Reuters) A Bangladesh court sentenced a journalist to four years in prison today for taking bribe from forest officials, lawyers said.

They said security forces had arrested ATM Rafique, who worked in southwestern Khulna district for a Dhaka-based daily newspaper, in early April while accepting 20,000 taka from two officials of Bangladesh Forest Department.

''The court has sentenced Rafique to four years in prison as the charges against him (of taking bribe) were proved beyond doubt,'' said a registrar of a quick trial court.

Rafique was also ordered to pay a fine of 10,000 taka or to suffer imprisonment for another three months, he said. Rafique's lawyers said they would appeal against the sentence.

The forest officials told security forces that Rafique had threatened to publish corruption reports against them unless they paid the money.

Accordingly, detectives laid a trap and grabbed Rafique while he was taking the money.

He is the first journalist to be convicted in Bangladesh for corruption.

Bangladesh's army-backed interim government launched a countrywide drive in January against corrupt politicians and others as part of efforts to hold elections, expected before the end of 2008.

An election planned for January 22 was postponed indefinitely after the interim authority imposed a state of emergency.

So far more than 160 politicians have been detained in the anti-corruption drive and many more are being sought, police said.

REUTERS REUTERS GL ND1518