DHAKA, Feb 5: The Bangladeshi politicians, belonging to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and the Awami League, who were detained by the army-led joint forces early on Sunday, were sent to the Dhaka Central Jail on Monday. They were given 30-day detention under the special powers act.

The chief metropolitan magistrate court, Dhaka, ordered 19 leaders to send to the jail by rejecting separate bail petitions.

In a pre-dawn crackdown in Dhaka, the joint forces detained Nazmul Huda, a former communications minister, Salauddin Qader Chowdhury, parliamentary affairs adviser to former prime minister Khaleda Zia, Amanullah Aman, a former state minister for labour and manpower, Mir Nasir Uddin Ahmed, a former state minister for civil aviation and tourism, Iqbal Hasan Mahmood, a former state minister for power, Ruhul Kuddus Talukder Dulu, a former deputy minister for land, and lawmakers Naser Rahman, Manjurul Ahsan Munshi and Abdul Wadud Bhuiyan of the BNP.

BNP-backed telephone employees’ leader Firoj Mia was also arrested from his Moghbazar residence.

The security forces also netted former home minister Mohammad Nasim, former state minister for planning Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir, privatisation affairs adviser to AL president Sheikh Hasina, Salman F Rahman and Pankaj Devnath, general secretary of the Sechhasebak League, volunteers’ front of the Awami League.

Mosaddak Ali Falu, a BNP lawmaker and political secretary to BNP chief Khaleda Zia, was also detained from near his DOHS residence.

Nineteen arrested leaders were brought to the court in two separate convoys. Both convoys escorted by huge contingent of security forces. The roads leading to the court were put off-limit for hours. Thousands of onlookers, including relatives of the arrested politicians, were thronged the court but faced security obstacles.

Some of the leaders were seen waving hands to the crowds and showing V-sign after getting down from the prison vans. Lawmen were seen struggling to control the crowds.

They were produced before the court of the Metropolitan Magistrate, Shafiq

Anwar. The prosecution told the court that they were arrested on charges of corruption, nepotism, creating anarchy and causing financial losses to public exchequer.

“Besides, we are getting proof that they were engaged in anti-state activities in violation of the emergency powers rule 2007,” said the prosecution.

S. Q. Chowdhury of BNP told the court that the allegations brought against him were totally false. “The charges are brought only to malign my political career.”

The defence of Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir of the Awami League told the court that his client was not involved in any corruption. ‘He also made the five-year plan of the government.’

Barrister Rafiqul Haque, the defence lawyer of Salman F. Rahman, demanded explanation on what ground his client was detained for over 40 hours without producing charges before the court within 24 hours.

Other politicians also pleaded not guilty.

Hearing both the sides, the court rejected their bail petitions and ordered them to send to the jail, saying that the detention proposal was pending against them. After the court order, the lawmen escorted the political leaders to the jail in same way stopping vehicular movement on the way.