Former Bangladesh foreign minister jailed in absentia

DHAKA (Reuters) - A former Bangladesh foreign minister, on the run since being charged last year with illegally amassing wealth, was sentenced in absentia on Monday to 13 years in jail, court officials said.

"Former foreign minister Morshed Khan was also fined one million taka ($14,595) or to serve another year in jail," a court official told reporters.

His jail term will begin after he is arrested or surrenders, he said.

Khan was foreign minister from 2001 to 2006 in the government of former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia, who has been in jail since September last year on corruption charges.

More than 170 key political figures, including Khaleda and her rival, ex-premier Sheikh Hasina, have been detained by Bangladesh's interim authority since it took charge in January 2007 vowing to clean up politics and wipe out corruption.

Khan, who was convicted of illegally amassing 16.90 million taka, was a leading cell-phone operator and car dealer.

($1 = 68.52 taka)

(Reporting by Nizam Ahmed: Editing by Anis Ahmed and David Fox)