Former state minister Ruhul Quddus Talukder Dulu, and former BNP lawmakers Mosaddak Ali Falu and Abdul Wadood Bhuiyan, who had been arrested along with other high profile politicians of both the major parties during the joint forces' drive early Sunday, however were not produced before the court.

The court turned down the bail petitions of all the 19 arrestees and ordered their detention after security personnel had produced them before the court yesterday afternoon with detention proposal under the Special Powers Act, without specifying the charges against them.

Although the court did not specify the duration of detention, lawyers said the arrestees might primarily be put under a 30-day detention.

The order came a day after seven former ministers and several other top politicians from both the parties were rounded up from their houses in the capital in an army-led joint forces' drive to hunt down corrupt politicians and businessmen as part of the interim government's 'ways to curb corruption'.

Some of the arrestees alleged that they were tortured 'inhumanely' during their stay in custody at 'places they do not know'.

Meanwhile, a home ministry press note issued last night acknowledged the roundup of high profile politicians saying that the arrests had been made in a bid to strictly suppress criminal activities which endanger national security and the economy.

After their arrests in the early hours of Sunday, former communications minister Nazmul Huda, parliamentary affairs adviser to the immediate past prime minister Salauddin Quader Chowdhury, former state ministers for labour and employment, civil aviation, and power -- Amanullah Aman, Mir Nasir and Iqbal Hasan Mahmud, AL adviser Salman F Rahman, Shwechhasebak League General Secretary Pankaj Devnath, former BNP lawmakers Naser Rahmand and Manjurul Ahsan Munshi, and BNP-backed BTTB trade union leader Firoj Mia were taken to undisclosed locations.

Former home minister Mohammad Nasim, former state minister for planning Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir, and Lotus Kamal of AL were also taken to undisclosed locations after their arrests during the same time.

The security forces started transferring the arrestees to Cantonment police station (PS) after 2:00am yesterday. Although arrested from different places in Dhaka, they were taken to Cantonment PS to ensure security.

Meantime, former president of Jatiya Chhatra League, Jahangir Sattar Tinku, who had not been handed over to police or produced before the court since his arrest on January 24, Swechhasebak League Vice-president Abdur Razzak, and Tinku's employee Mohammad Hasan were also taken to the PS.

Others who were taken to the PS are AL President Sheikh Hasina's assistant personal secretary Dr Awlad Hossain and her personal staff Mahmud Hasan Babul -- who had been arrested minutes after they had come out of Hasina's residence on January 31 night, and Shoib Sayeed Dikon, an accused in the case related to the August 21 grenade attack on an AL rally and the primary accused in Indian businessman Majid Alam murder case.

Ten of the arrestees were taken to the court in two microbuses, strongly secured by members of police, Detective Branch (DB) and intelligence agencies, at 4:15pm while the other nine were brought to the court later in another microbus.

Relatives of the arrested politicians, party activists, and curious people had started thronging the court premises in hundreds much before the arrestees were brought there.

While struggling to keep away the spectators, security personnel took the first 10 arrestees to the court custody and later to the court of Shafiq Anwar.

Mir Nasir, MK Alamgir, Naser Rahman and Amanullah Aman moved their own bail petitions while other arrestees had their lawyers.

"The High Court had earlier thrown out all the graft cases filed against me during the tenure of BNP-led alliance government. So, the allegations now brought against me are false, baseless and fabricated," Mohammad Nasim told the court, adding that the charges were brought to tarnish his image.

While standing in the dock, Nazmul Huda was looking dejected.

Assistant Commissioner (prosecution) Mokbul Hossain, while reading out the police forwarding reports, said the arrestees were charged with anti-state activities, sabotage, corruption, and endangering public safety.

All the 19 need to be put behind bars for the sake of public safety, he told the court, placing a detention proposal under the Special Powers Act.

Hearing both sides, Metropolitan Magistrate Shafiq Anwar rejected the bail prayers and ordered to send the detainees to Dhaka Central Jail.

"As they were arrested under section 16 (2) of Emergency Power Ordinance 2007 and there is a proposal from the home ministry for their detention, this court is rejecting their bail prayers," Shafiq Anwar said while passing the order.

The hearing continued for three hours from 4:15pm.

After the court had ordered the detention, 10 arrestees were boarded on two microbuses and taken to Dhaka Central Jail. The nine other arrestees were later taken to jail in another microbus.

In an immediate reaction, M Sanaullah Mia, counsel for SQ Chowdhury, told reporters, "My client's patriotism is no less than that of those who are now in the caretaker government."

ALLEGATIONS OF TORTURE
Both Jahangir Sattar Tinku and Dr Awlad Hossain alleged that the security personnel heavily tortured them during their stay in custody. Terming the torture as 'inhumane', Tinku said, "It was so brutal that I cannot stand well now."

"I was blindfolded and taken to an unknown place. I don't know where I was kept since my arrest," Tinku said while talking to reporters on the court premises.

Hasina's personal staff Babul also echoed the allegation.

SITUATION AT CANTONMENT PS
Relatives of the detainees thronged Cantonment PS by yesterday morning getting the news that the arrestees would be taken there. Family members were allowed to meet their arrested relatives between 5:00am and noon.

Nazmul Huda's wife Sigma Huda, rights activist Alena Khan, SQ Chowdhury's wife and son, Pankaj Devnath's wife, and Tinku's brother were seen among others standing outside the police station till 2:30pm.

They however left the area when the army and police asked all including journalists to leave.

Additional police and plainclothesmen were deployed there to maintain vigilance.

Police did not allow even lawyers inside the station. Some journalists however managed to go near the police station but could not go inside. Many were even barred from entering the cantonment area altogether.