Meanwhile, Awami League (AL) Joint General Secretary Obaidul Quader and former BNP lawmaker Ali Asgar Lobi were sent to jail yesterday on completion of their three-day remands.

Proceedings of the case filed against former law minister barrister Moudud Ahmed for possession of contraband liquors were adjourned yesterday following a time petition by defence lawyers.

FALU REMANDED
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) yesterday produced Mosaddak Ali Falu before the court of Metropolitan Magistrate Jagannath Das Khokon at 1:00pm seeking a seven-day remand.

In his forwarding report, ACC Assistant Director Sheikh Abdus Salam, also the investigation officer (IO) of the case, mentioned that Falu needs to be quizzed during remand for gathering vital clues about government relief materials that were seized from the office of a ward commissioner of Falu's constituency as well as whereabouts of his accomplices involved in misusing the relief materials.

The defence lawyers submitted a petition for cancellation of the remand prayer saying that their client was implicated in the case as part of a conspiracy to harass him falsely.

On hearing both the sides, the court rejected the defence plea and placed Falu on a three-day remand.

On March 2, security personnel had recovered 605 corrugated iron (CI) sheets and 63 blankets meant for relief from a ward commissioner's office at Tejgaon in Dhaka.

The law enforcers also recovered 37 CI sheets from the house of one Shafiuddin near BG Press staff quarters mosque in Tejgaon.

During interrogation, Falu claimed that he purchased the sheets from Ruhul Amin Bhuyian alias Jahangir, commissioner of ward 37 and the vice-president of Tejgaon thana BNP.

Acting on his information, security personnel raided the ward commissioner's office at Begunbari of Tejgaon the same day and found 63 blankets in gunnysacks and 605 CI sheets stacked up inside. Fifteen kg of rotten rice was also found there.

The law enforcers picked up Nazir Ahmed, office assistant of the commissioner, for interrogation.

Later, Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) official Abdus Samad from Rab 2 filed a case with Tejgaon Police Station against Falu, Jahangir and four others the same day.

QUADER, LOBI SENT TO JAIL
Obaidul Quader, joint general secretary of the AL, was sent to Dhaka Central Jail yesterday after he was produced before a Dhaka court on completion of his three-day remand.

Quader, who was taken on the remand for interrogation on his alleged involvement in subversive activities, looked pale and was limping as he was being escorted by law enforcers to the court on the third floor.

Quader was detained under the Special Powers Act on March 8.

Defence lawyer Advocate Shahara Khatun told the court that after the court had placed him on the three-day police remand, he was interrogated by unknown personnel at an undisclosed location and even his family members did not know of his whereabouts.

Furthermore, he was tortured both physically and mentally in such a manner that he cannot even walk steadily. He needed police assistance to climb up the stairs of the court building to reach the courtroom on the third floor, she added.

Since there was no further remand prayer, the court ordered to send Quader to jail.

LOBI CASE
Another Dhaka court yesterday sent former BNP lawmaker Ali Asgar Lobi to jail after he was produced before it on completion of his three-day remand in a case filed with Gulshan Police Station on March 11 for trespassing on a private property at Gulshan belonging to a UK expatriate, threatening to kill him and plundering valuables from his house.

Lobi was arrested on February 5.

GANI REMAND FOR THIRD TIME
A Dhaka court yesterday placed detained forest boss Osman Gani on a three-day remand for the third consecutive time after he was produced before it on completion of a five-day remand. He was remanded for four days before.

In the forwarding report, the IO of the general diary filed against Gani with Uttara Police Station mentioned that Gani has divulged important information about his wealth that he acquired through corruption.

The IO added that more information could be gleaned from him about the unbridled corruption if he is taken on another seven days' remand. The court granted a three-day remand.

Gani was arrested from his Uttara residence on May 29.

MOUDUD CASE
A Dhaka court yesterday adjourned the proceedings of the case filed against Moudud for possession of 32 cans of beer and 16 bottles of other alcoholic beverages.

Judge Mohammad Azizul Haq of the Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court adjourned the proceedings till June 17 following a time petition by the defence lawyers.

Moudud was present in the dock during the hearing of the case.

On May 28, Officer in Charge Mohamamd Obaidul Haque of Gulshan Police Station, also the IO, submitted the charge sheet to the Court of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Dhaka, showing 10 people as prosecution witnesses.

On April 13, the joint forces apprehended influential BNP leader and former lawmaker Moudud Ahmed raiding his Gulshan residence in the capital.

The forces also seized various documents including receipts for different items and 220 saris meant for government relief to the poor.

Later, a case was filed against Moudud, a member of BNP standing committee, under Section 25 (B) of the Special Powers Act, 1974 for obtaining the foreign liquors evading government tax.

In the charge sheet, the IO mentioned that the charges brought against Moudud were primarily proved and he should be brought to justice.

Following his arrest, Moudud was taken on a four-day remand for interrogation.

On March 25, the National Board of Revenue directed banks to freeze the accounts of Moudud Ahmed and his wife.

Moudud served as a minister in three cabinets since the country's independence in 1971. He served autocrat ruler HM Ershad's government as a prime minister and as a vice-president.

MAMUN CASE
Nine prosecution witnesses of an arms case against controversial businessman Giasuddin Al Mamun yesterday gave statements.

Judge Mohammad Abul Bashar of the First Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court recorded statements of the witnesses and fixed June 14 for the next hearing of the case.

Earlier on April 26, Cantonment police submitted the charge sheet against Mamun to the Court of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Dhaka showing 12 people as prosecution witnesses.

Shahrum Khan, officer in charge of Cantonment Police Station and the IO of the case, pressed charges against Mamun, who was arrested from his Banani DOHS residence on March 26.

Police seized a .22 Spanish pistol and eight bullets from his house.

Later, an arms case was filed against Mamun and he was placed on a four-day remand.

HUDA-SALAHUDDIN CASE
Another Dhaka court yesterday accepted the charge sheets of two separate criminal cases against detained former communications minister Nazmul Huda and BNP lawmaker Salahuddin Ahmed from Demra in the capital.

After scrutinising the case dockets and other relevant documents, Metropolitan Magistrate Quamrunnahar passed the order.

On May 8, Dhanmondi police pressed charges against Huda in a criminal case filed against him for using a fake registration number for his sport utility vehicle (SUV).

Sub-Inspector Kazi Amirul Islam, also the IO of the case, submitted the charge sheet to the CMM's Court, Dhaka.

On February 25, police seized Huda's luxurious Cadillac Escalade bearing registration number Dhaka Metro Gha 11-9999 and filed a case against him with Dhanmondi Police Station on March 1.

Meanwhile, SI Mainul Islam of the same police station pressed charges against Salahuddin Ahmed and his son Imran Ahmed in a fraud case.

Mainul Islam, also the IO of the case, submitted the charge sheet to the CMM's Court on May 8.

Saiful Islam, deputy director of Amin Mohammad Group, filed a fraud case with Dhanmondi Police Station against former BNP lawmaker from Demra Salahuddin Ahmed and his son Imran.

In the case, the complainant said Salahuddin and his son forced him to sign the ownership document of a flat on November 10, 2003 paying only Tk 5 lakh against the actual price of over Tk 35.66 lakh.

Our Bogra correspondent adds: Police pressed charges against former BNP lawmaker Helaluzzaman Talukder Lalu in two different cases filed for extortion and embezzlement.

SI Rafique and SI Mustafizur Rahman of Gabtoli police station pressed the charges against the lawmaker before a first class magistrate court.

Gabtoli upazila AL president Azam Khan filed the extortion case accusing 16 individuals including the lawmaker on April 30. IO of the case SI Rafique submitted the charge sheet accusing 14.

On April 18, Aminul Islam, former chairman of Mohisaban union, filed another case against 38 people including the lawmaker accusing them of being involved in deception, theft and embezzlement.

SI Mustafizur Rahman submitted the charge sheet in the case on June 7 accusing 37 on June 7.