An anti-corruption court in Bangladesh on Thursday sentenced a former minister to 13 years in jail for amassing wealth through illegal means, the first conviction of a government leader since a crackdown began this year. The court also handed a three-year sentence to Amanullah AmanÂ’s wife for giving false information on their personal wealth to the anti-corruption commission that is investigating scores of politicians for graft and abuse of power. Aman, who was state minister for labour and employment, is the first member of former prime minister Begum Khaleda ZiaÂ’s cabinet to be convicted for corruption since the army-backed interim administration began the drive.
The court also ordered Aman to pay a fine of one million taka ($14,500) or serve another year in jail. The coupleÂ’s assets have been confiscated. More than 170 key political figures including KhaledaÂ’s elder son and political heir Tareque Rahman have been detained in the anti-corruption hunt aimed at cleaning up politics before elections expected late next year. The special court last month sentenced an aide of Khaleda and the owner of a private television channel for extortion.