As the army backed interim government in Bangladesh steps into fourth month on Thursday with declared war on corruption, law enforces has so far rounded up over 159,000 people, including former ministers, lawmakers and business tycoons.
The police on Wednesday submitted charge sheet accusing former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and several senior leaders of her alliance for the multiple killings during the anti-government agitation in Dhaka in October last year.
This is the second case filed against Hasina within 48 hours after she was sued for alleged extortion of 30 million taka (428,571 U.S. dollars) from an executive of a Malaysia-based power company Westmont while she was prime minister in 1998.
The detectives also submitted on Wednesday a charge sheet against fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer and former Industry Minister Matiur Rahman Nizami for the killing of his political opponents during the political turmoil in last October. Some 67 political activists were killed and hundreds injured during the confrontations in Dhaka and other major cities.
The bloodletting political confrontations between Awami League (AL) president Sheikh Hasina's alliance and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairman Khaleda Zia's allies led to the promulgation of the state of emergency that indefinitely postponed the general elections slated for Jan. 22 this year.
After assuming power on Jan. 12 this year under the emergency, Chief Advisor Fakhruddin Ahmed's caretaker government declared war on corruption and criminal godfathers.
Arrestees include scores of big guns from both BNP of Khaleda Zia and AL of Sheikh Hasina. The high profile arrest include immediate past Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's son Tarique Rahman who is now imprisoned facing trial on charges of corruption and extortion.
Meanwhile, Awami League president Sheikh Hasina now in the United States on a family visit has planned to return to Dhaka on April 14 to face the alleged criminal charges in the court of law,her party leaders told the media.
Although no charge was yet made against Khaleda Zia, but the authorities imposed restriction on her visitors and movement, local newspapers said. Khaleda who lives in a residence in Dhaka Cantonment is under strict surveillance of the intelligence agencies.