Ex-BNP lawmaker Sarwar Jamal Nizam sent to jail

A Chittagong court Friday sent former BNP lawmaker Sarwar Jamal Nizam to Chittagong Central Jail after RAB arrested him early in the day. Nizam's lawyer Abdus Sattar said he was taken to the Metropolitan Magistrate's Court for Chittagong at about 9pm. Magistrate Maksudur Rahman turned down his bail appeal and ordered him behinds bars. Nizam stands accused of abusing power during the BNP-led government. RAB arrested Nizam at 1:00am from the Chittagong Club premises on charges of corruption, fertiliser smuggling and immoral acts, an official of the elite force said. The detained lawmaker is the brother of Bangladesh Navy chief Vice Admiral Sarwar Jahan Nizam and is alleged to have ties to the abduction and killing of BNP leader and top businessman Jamaluddin Chowdhury. Updates 2 with more details >>Jamaluddin's family hails Nizam's arrest

Chittagong, June 22 (bdnews24.com) – A Chittagong court Friday sent former BNP lawmaker Sarwar Jamal Nizam to Chittagong Central Jail after RAB arrested him early in the day.

Nizam's lawyer Abdus Sattar said he was taken to the Metropolitan Magistrate's Court for Chittagong at about 9pm.

Magistrate Maksudur Rahman turned down his bail appeal and ordered him behinds bars.

The court also ordered jail authorities to give him division and proper treatment, Sattar said.

Nizam stands accused of abusing power during the BNP-led government.

Patenga police chief Nurul Islam Siddiqui told court that Nizam subverted the state and should be kept in jail.

RAB arrested Nizam at 1:00am from the Chittagong Club premises on charges of corruption, fertiliser smuggling and immoral acts, an official of the elite force said.

"Nizam is being quizzed at the moment in RAB custody," RAB-7 director Lt Col Hasinur Rahman told bdnews24.com at 8:00 Friday morning.

The detained lawmaker is the brother of Bangladesh Navy chief Vice Admiral Sarwar Jahan Nizam and is alleged to have ties to the abduction and killing of BNP leader and top businessman Jamaluddin Chowdhury.

Jamaluddin was kidnapped from Chandgaon area in Chittagong on July 24, 2003 and later killed.

The elite crime busters also raided his Khulshi home Friday night and his garment factory at the Chitaagong EPZ in the morning.

They seized Nizam's vehicle with three bottles of foreign liquor and five cans of beer kept in the car and an airgun and a knife from his factory.

The family of Jamaluddin has accused the former lawmaker and his younger brother Marif Nizam of the kidnap and killing, which hit the news headlines during Khaleda Zia's regime.

They told bdnews24.com Friday said the trial of the killing could not be held in four years due to Sarwar influencing the administration.

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