From correspondents in Dhaka, Bangladesh, 05:01 PM IST

The anti-graft drive by Bangladesh's caretaker government seems to be falling apart with scores of politicians getting bail and readying for the December parliamentary polls even as a jurist said it can't be accepted.

Those freed temporarily include two former prime ministers, Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina, several former ministers and lawmakers and political activists against whom cases are pending in various courts.

This has invited the ire of Kalam Hossain, a politician and a jurist, who has said that a free, fair and credible election could not be held by 'compromising with the corrupt people', The Daily Star reported Tuesday.

'How can 200 people get bail on a single day?' queried Hossain, who has been supportive of the military-backed government's anti-graft drive, on the issue of bail granted to detained political leaders in large numbers.

'It cannot be accepted. We demand an inquiry into it,' he was quoted as saying by The Daily Star.

Hossain said: 'The government must do everything in a transparent way and let people know it.'

The anti-corruption drives launched since January last year 'have gone in favour of corrupt people in many cases', said a resolution of Hossain's party, Gono Forum.

However, Hossain's views are in a minority and the release of jailed leaders has been widely welcomed by the political parties and the media.

The government of Chief Advisor Fakhruddin Ahmed jailed over 200,000 people, including over 200 VVIPs, choking jails and instituting cases against them for corruption, misuse of office and extortion.

However, it has also wooed the political parties to keep its commitment to hold elections in December, since it has been warned by the US, European Union and several international bodies that election should be seen as free and fair.

While Hasina is abroad receiving medical treatment, her rival Khaleda Zia was given bail last week and is readying to hold talks with the government representatives later this week.

Zia's elder son Tarique Rahman, a politician, too was granted bail and is in Britain for medical treatment.

The appellate division of the Supreme Court Monday refused to vacate the High Court orders that extended the stay on the proceedings of the Niko and barge-mounted power plant graft cases - two of the many - against Hasina.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)