DOT Desk: The High Court today scrapped its earlier order that granted bail to BNP Joint Secretary General Aslam Chowdhury in a corruption case filed for misappropriating Tk 135.8 core from Chattogram’s Halishahar branch of South East Bank, reports The Daily Star.
The HC also directed the trial court to try former managing director of South East Bank Mahbubul Alam and former manager of its Halishahar branch Mahbubur Rahman Sabbir in the same case.
It warned the Anti-Corruption Commission’s Investigation Officer (IO) Md Mosharaf Hossain Mridha for exempting Mahbubul and Mahbubur from the case proceedings earlier.
The HC bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice KM Hafizul Alam passed the order after rejecting the bail petition of Aslam Chowdhury, who is also accused in a sedition case filed on charge hatching a conspiracy with Israel’s Likud Party and its intelligence agency Mossad to oust the government, in connection with the corruption case.
The ACC filed the case with Halishahar Police Station on December 26, 2016, against Aslam, his wife and chairman of Rising Steel Mill Limited Jamila Naznin Maola, his younger brother and its managing director Amjad Hossain Chowdhury, its director Jasim Uddin Chowdhury, bank officials Mahbubul and Mahbubur for misappropriating Tk 135.8 crore.
ACC’s IO Mosharaf Hossain Mridha submitted charge sheet against four accused and exempted Mahbubul and Mahbubur from the case proceedings.
On December 5 last year, the HC summoned IO Mosharaf to appear before it for his explanation over exempting Mahbubul and Mahbubur from the case.
IO Mosharaf appeared before the HC on December 13 last year but he could not give any satisfactory explanation to the HC, ACC’s lawyer Advocate Khurshid Alam Khan and Deputy Attorney General AKM Amin Uddin Manik told The Daily Star.
They said another HC bench on April 11 last year had granted ad-interim bail to Aslam Chowdhury in the corruption case and also issued a rule asking the ACC and government to explain why he should not be granted bail in the case.
The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on August 6 last year stayed the HC order of bail, directed Aslam to surrender to the lower court in two weeks in connection with the case and asked the HC to hear and dispose of its April 11 rule.
The lower court on October 30 last year shown Aslam arrested in the case, Advocate Khurshid added.
Advocate Mia Mohammad Kawsar Alam appeared for Aslam.
Our time is a news portal