The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

About 100 politicians, including some high-profile leaders, have fled to India and other countries to evade arrest under the Government's anti-corruption drive, official sources claimed in Dhaka.

Many of these high-profile politicians are hiding in different friendly countries, including India, UK, Singapore and USA, the sources added.

Police sources said 30 of the absconders have been sentenced to varied jail terms. The latest being prominent Awami League (AL) leader Abul Hasnat Abdullah who was handed down a 13-year jail term by a Dhaka Court on Monday for illegally amassing wealth and concealing financial information.

A senior police official preferring anonymity said Abdullah was hiding in India along with his son, who was sentenced to eight-year imprisonment on a corruption charge earlier.

Another Court had sentenced Abdullah, who was the Chief Whip of Parliament when Sheikh Hasina was the Prime Minister, to nine years in jail earlier after trial in absentia for tax evasion.

The police had earlier sought Interpol's assistance to track down the convicted politicians and suspects who fled the country after the anti-graft crackdown was launched by the interim administration in January last year. Inspector General of Police (IGP) Noor Mohammad recently said they were trying to confirm the current whereabouts of the fugitives as many of them were hiding abroad with their family members.

Informed sources said a number of politicians, including Al-leaders-Akhtaruzzaman Chowdhury Babu, Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya, AFM Bahauddin Nasim, Jahangir Kabir Nanak and former MP, Mirza Azam-and BNP leaders Harris Chowdhury, Shahjahan Siraj and former MP Nadeem Mostafa were hiding in India.

Some of these high-profile politicians might have migrated to other countries from India.

Meanwhile, the Government has also requested the Indian authorities to help nab those hiding in the big neighbouring country with which Bangladesh share 4,000 kilometers of common border.