DHAKA: A court in emergency-ruled Bangladesh on Tuesday sentenced a former government minister to five years behind bars for possessing alcohol at his home without a permit, officials said.

Anwar Hossain Manju, now the editor of the prominent Bengali daily Ittefaq, was found guilty in absentia of storing foreign wine at his Dhaka residence, deputy police commissioner Shahidul Haq Bhuiyan said.

Manju left the country in March for medical treatment, although the prosecution has accused him of going into hiding.

Police seized 21 bottles during a raid on his home in March, said defence lawyer Shamsul Kabir, adding that he would appeal against the sentence.

“The lower court did not hear our arguments or allow us to cross-examine the witnesses. We think it's a maximum punishment for a minor crime,” he said.

A special licence is required to keep alcohol in Bangladesh.

Manju was communications minister during the Awami League party's 1996-2001 administration. He is also the estranged brother of the current interim government's law minister.—AFP