She also stated that Brig Gen Bari had prepared lists of thousands of businessmen and political leaders with the sole motive of extorting money from them. ‘Those who refused to pay him were harassed in every possible manner; they were also.put behind bar and tortured ti cough up’.
Hundreds of crores realized by Bari from businessmen and politicians during the anti-corruption drive were siphoned off to foreign countries. Those who parted with huge amount of money as demanded by Bari were let off the hook,Mihnaj revealed.
Mihnaj was looking after huge amount of money and property left by Bari before taking up his new assignment in the US and by her father to revive the almost defunct Freedom Party. She was getting Tk 3 lakh per month as pocket money from Bari.
Mihnaj came to know from Bari that the Caretaker Govt’s motive was to send the Awami League President Hasina into political oblivion. ‘But after witnessing public outcry and international reaction generated by Hasina’s arrest, Khaleda Zia was also arrested as a skin saving device’.
The plan was to put Hasina under house internment, send Khaleda Zia and her two sons abroad and bring the country under military rule. But the plan backfired as Khaleda Zia refused to leave the country.
According to Mihnaj, pressure was mounted upon Bari from different quarters including Pakistan intelligence agencies for arresting Sheikh Hasina. She also forced Bari’s hands and all this resulted in the ‘ sudden arrest’ of Sheikh Hasina..
By her own admission,Mihnaj is very close to Khaleda Zia.’She is like a mother ( to me). I used to take good care of her’.
Mihnaj’s house at Gulshan became the nerve center of all activities of the Army-backed dispensation as Bari was residing in the house with her. ‘She attended many secret meetings held there and was a party to many important decisions. Former State Minister Lutfozaman Babar’s wife frequented Mihnaj’s house to get acquainted with Bari to make sure that her husband was not targeted’.
Another nugget from Mihnaj was that attack on Taposh was made through a remote control device by a group of disgruntled army officers who suspect that Taposh had connections with BDR mutineers.
