Dhaka: A former Bangladesh minister was today sentenced to 12 years rigorous imprisonment while an editor of a mass circulated daily was handed down a 13-year term on separate corruption charges by special graft courts.

Nazmul Huda, who was minister in the former Bangladesh Nationalist Party government of detained former prime minister Khaleda Zia was sentenced for "amassing wealth beyond his known sources of income and hiding information in wealth statement".

Judge Ashraf Hossain, however, acquitted Huda's high-profile rights activist wife, Sigma Huda in the same case, as the prosecution failed to affirm the charges brought against her.

Hossain also ordered confiscation of Taka 1.18 crore (USD 172,011) that the ex-minister had deposited in different banks and a farmhouse, besides fining him Taka 1 crore (USD145,772).

Huda and his wife were arrested by the military-backed interim government under its anti-corruption drive in the emergency-ruled country which has seen nearly 90 high-profile personalities, including two former prime ministers, being sentenced or detained since last year.

Another Dhaka court today sentenced Atiqullah Khan Masud, the editor and owner of Daily Janakantha to 13 years in prison on similar charges.

Judge Sirajul Islam of the Special Judge's Court also fined Masud Tk 10 lakh (USD 14,577) and ordered seizure of all his illegal assets. The court also sentenced Masud's fugitive wife Shamima A Khan to three years in jail for "abetting her husband in amassing the wealth illegally".

The same court had last month sentenced Masud, who was arrested on March 7 last year to a total of 21 years, seven years each in three separate fraud cases.
Source : PTI