The forces also seized 1,032 corrugated iron (CI) sheets mostly from BNP leaders and activists' houses.

Meanwhile, a home ministry press release said the armed forces arrested 57 people including 21 criminals while police and Rab arrested 1,569 including 20 convicts and 807 wanted criminals in 24 hours ending at 6:00am yesterday.

BAKIR ARREST
A press release from Rab 3 said they tracked down Sonali Bank trade union leader BM Bakir, one of the 50 corruption suspects listed by the ACC, from flat 19/B on the fourth floor of Rajuk Staff Quarters at West Malibagh by following a microbus that took Bakir to Anti-corruption Commission (ACC) on February 22.

Bakir, alleged for raking in crores of taka in the last few years using his trade union influence and loyalty to BNP, had slipped through Rab's dragnet on February 22.

Rab also arrested from the flat Bakir's associates Ruhul Amin, a senior officer of Tejgaon branch Sonali Bank, and Mohammad Monir, a clerk at Sonali Bank Principal Office at Motijheel, said the press release.

Bakir joined Sonali Bank as a clerk in 1977. He is now a deputy accountant there with a salary of Tk 7,500 per month.

Mystery shrouded his slipping through law enforcers' dragnet as intelligence officials spying on visitors at the ACC office initially admitted to having arrested him at the Matsya Bhaban intersection. Later, they said that he had dodged the security personnel.

While he was coming out of the ACC and attempted to leave the spot on a microbus, an intelligence official stopped Bakir's vehicle. Another intelligence official got into the car and it drove away, said sources.

Although intelligence officials at the ACC confirmed Bakir's arrest, they later said that they were not definite about his arrest.

"Immediately after knowing that Bakir went to ACC office to submit his wealth statement, a team of Rab 3 headed out for the ACC to arrest him. It took the team 20 to 25 minutes to reach ACC. Bakir managed to flee the scene by that time after submitting his statement," the Rab release said.

Meanwhile, the joint forces rounded up Anis Ahmed, chairman of MGH Group, from near his office at Karwan Bazar on Sunday afternoon. He is known to have close ties with BNP senior joint secretary general Tarique Rahman.

Although the joint forces asked him to come out of the office to have a few words, they did not release him till yesterday evening, said his family members.

Sources said Anis was picked up to be quizzed about the corruption of several influential persons of the immediate past alliance government.

OTHER OPERATIONS
In Sylhet, Mashuq Ahmed, CBA president of Jalalabad Gas, surrendered to the joint forces yesterday. He is also the labour affairs secretary of Sylhet city BNP. He faces allegations of tender manipulations, corruption and abuse of power.

In Rajshahi, joint forces arrested a close aide to former post and telecommunications minister of the immediate past alliance government Mofiz Uddin. Mofiz is also vice president of Tanore upazila BNP. He is the prime accused in the gang rape case of an 18-year-old girl in Tanore in April 1988.

Mofiz and one Sheesh Mohammad used to maintain contact with militant leaders of Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh including Bangla Bhai on behalf of the minister, said sources.

Using the minister's influence, Mofiz was engaged in extortion over recruitment of government staff, smuggling and selling fertiliser on the black market. He had been evading arrest since June 2005 after he was shown as prime accused in the rape case.

In Puthia, police recovered 37 CI sheets from Zia Smriti Sangha at Zamira village of Belpukuria union and arrested president and general secretary of Belghoria union BNP Abdul Aziz and Selina Begum on Sunday night.

In Lalmonirhat, the joint forces seized 84 CI sheets from the house of Altaf Hossain, upazila BNP vice president and also chairman of Gokunda UP, reports our correspondent.

Earlier on Sunday night, joint forces seized 150 CI sheets from Kulaghat UP BNP office.

They seized another 200 sheets from the house of district BNP leader and Kulaghat UP chairman Shahjahan Ali and over 200 CI sheets from upazila BNP leader and Kulaghat UP member Dulal Hossain.

At Barobari, the forces seized 200 more CI sheets from the house of Nazrul Islam, cousin of former state minister Asadul Habib Dulu.

In Khulna, joint forces recovered 70 CI sheets from the house of local Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal leader Belayet Hossain at Maheshwarpasha in Daulatpur.

They also seized 11 CI sheets from the possession of Alamgir Bepari, a ward unit general secretary of Jubo Dal.

In Pabna, the forces seized 69 CI sheets from the house of Harunur Rashid at Kachuri on Shujanagar.

In Bogra, Dupchanchia police recovered 11 CI sheets from local Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal office yesterday.

In Manikganj, joint forces arrested chairman of Manikganj municipality and Rupashi Bangla Television Ramjan Ali on Sunday night. He was sent to jail yesterday. Ramjan faces 16 corruption cases.