A Bangladesh court sentenced former minister Shahjahan Siraj to eight years in jail on Wednesday for not paying income tax, court officials said. The court ordered his wife Rabeya Siraj and son Rajib Siraj to also serve eight years each in jail for helping the ex-minister to conceal taxable income. The special anti-corruption court passed sentence in the absence of the accused, who police said have been in hiding since the army-backed interim government launched a nationwide drive against corruption after taking charge in January this year. Siraj served as a cabinet minister in the government of the most recent prime minister, Begum Khaleda Zia.