Graft accused Khoka's land confiscated
The government yesterday took control of former Dhaka mayor and BNP senior leader Sadeque Hossain Khoka's 50 acres of land in Rupganj of Narayanganj.
This land will be treated as “khas land” from now on, the Narayanganj administration said.
Rabbi Miah, deputy commissioner of Narayanganj, said they took control of the land to implement a court order, reports a correspondent in Narayanganj.
Rabbi said they received the copy of the order yesterday in which the court asked the government to confiscate the 50.89 acres of land worth around Tk 8 crore.
The Anti-Corruption Commission filed a case against Khoka, his wife Ismat Ara, son Ishraq Hossain and daughter Sarika Sadeque with the Ramna Police Station during the 2008 caretaker government regime.
The ACC investigation officer concerned on July 1, 2008, submitted a charge sheet before the court dropping names of his son and daughter.
A court on October 20, 2015, awarded 13 years imprisonment to Khoka for acquiring wealth illegally.
The court in its verdict ordered confiscation of Khoka's moveable and immovable properties worth Tk 10.05 crore.
Khoka was in New York during the verdict delivery.
Diagnosed with a tumour in one of his ribs in early 2014, Khoka, vice-chairman of BNP, went to New York in June of that year and since then he has been receiving treatment at Manhattan's Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre.
His wife and daughter have been with him there, Khoka told a correspondent over the phone yesterday. He said the case was nothing but political vengeance.
“I was not even given the opportunity to appoint a lawyer,” Khoka said claiming that he had gone to the US with court permission.
Khoka also added that after consultation with his lawyer, he will decide the next course of legal action.
A correspondent in Narayanganj said on August 22, the local administration installed a signboard on Khoka's land mentioning the court order and hoisted red flags there. On September 15, it issued an order to mark it as khas land.
Earlier, the deputy commission of Dhaka had confiscated Khoka's six-storey building in Gulshan on five katha of land following a court order. The court had mentioned Tk 2.46 crore as the price of the building.
Sources said the Gazipur administration has also taken moves to confiscate Khoka's 50 acres of land there.
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