Sylhet Divisional Special Judge Iftekhar Rasul yesterday re-fixed the date on August 26 as one of the accused--SCC Ward Commissioner Azadur Rahman Azad could not be brought from Moulvibazar district jail and produced before the court.

However, the prime accused in the case--SCC Mayor Badar Uddin Ahmed Kamran was brought from Comilla Central jail and produced before the court.

The High Court had stayed trial of 16 of the 18 accused in the case for six months.

A Division Bench of the High Court comprising Justice SK Sinha and Justice Mamnun Rahman on June 7 stayed trial of 16 of the 18 accused. The 16 are SCC ward commissioners Syed Ahmed Hossain, Prodip Bhattacharya, Abdul Quaiyum Jalali Ponki, Santanu Dutta Santu, Saleh Ahmed Chowdhury, Sazzadur Rahman, Syed Misbah uddin, Haji Faruque Ahmed and Md. Shahjahan; former ward commissioners Azhar Uddin Jahangir, Oliur Rahman, Humayun Kabir Shahin, Maksud Bakht and Bidhan kapali; former executive engineer Padmasen Sinha and the then Sylhet Pourashava storekeeper Saiful Alam.

Earlier, on May 21, charges were framed against the SCC mayor and 17 others in case at the Divisional Special Judge's Court, Sylhet.

The Judge framed the charges on hearing.

Meanwhile, one of the accused--ward commissioner Abdul Wadud Khaled died of heart attack on April 30 at his relative's house in Moulvibazar.

Anti Corruption Commission on February 7 this filed charge sheet against 19 accused including the mayor and 16 incumbent and former ward commissioners of SCC.

The then Bureau of Anti Corruption (now Anti Corruption Commission) filed the case in April 2003.

Investigation officer of the then BAU in the charge sheet alleged that the accused persons in connivance with each other on May 11, 2000 leased the kitchen market of the then Sylhet pourashava at Shibganj to ward commissioner Sazzadur Rahman's (now dead) younger brother Azadur Rahman Azad (now a ward commissioner) without any tender or approval from the ministry.

They had misappropriated Tk 23 lakh through corrupt practice, the charge sheet said. However, after arrest of Azad, the amount was deposited with the SCC account by his men in February this year.