December 12, 2001	Wednesday	Ramazan 26, 1422

DHAKA, Dec 11: The Bangladesh government filed two corruption charges on Tuesday against former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, accusing her of plundering 126 million dollars of state funds while in office, police said.

They said the government’s anti-corruption bureau alleged Hasina had pocketed 123 million dollars from a 1998 deal to buy eight Mig-29 aircraft from Russia for the Bangladesh air force.

The second charge accused the former leader of misappropriating three million dollars in the appointment of foreign consultants for an export promotion scheme, police told reporters.

Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Barrister Moudud Ahmed told a private television channel on Monday the cases were filed with permission of Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, who has vowed to launch corruption cases against previous government leaders since coming to power two months ago.

Police said corruption cases were also filed against several ministers of the Hasina government, including former home minister Mohammad Nasim, civil aviation minister Mosharraf Hossain, state minister for foreign affairs Abul Hasan Chowdhury, jute minister Faizul Huq and deputy minister for shipping Saber Hossain Chowdhury.

Former air force chief Jamaluddin Ahmed has also been charged over the Mig-29 deal.

None of the accused could be contacted immediately.

The cases were registered at various police stations in the capital Dhaka. Police said they would submit formal charges against Hasina and other ex-ministers in courts soon for trial.—Reuters