Aminul seeks to withdraw 5 cases against him

Former post and telecommunications minister Aminul Haque, a fugitive convict, through his attorneys yesterday applied to the government for withdrawal of five cases filed against him in two districts during the caretaker government.

Aminul's lawyers M Nazmul Alam and Ashrafuzzaman Mollik submitted separate applications to the office of deputy commissioners of Rajshahi and Naogaon districts.

Terming the cases filed against Aminul 'false and politically motivated,' the petitions say the cases were filed against the former minister to harass him and tarnish his image.

An appeal has been made in the petitions to withdraw the cases--four in Rajshahi and one in Naogaon. Three cases were filed against Aminul for abetting militancy while two cases for embezzling CI sheets from the government's relief fund.

One of the three cases was filed against barrister Aminul for killing Monwar Hossain Babu of Bagmara. After the killing on April 1 in 2004, the executed JMB leader Siddikul Islam Bangla Bhai began his so-called 'vigilante operation' in the Bagmara area, it alleges.

"We submitted the application as a provision has been kept in the government circular to review the false political cases," said Ashrafuzzaman Mollik.

Aminul allegedly patronised militancy using local police and district administration of Rajshahi during 2004-05.

JMB operations commander Bangla Bhai before his execution had disclosed Aminul's name as one of the patrons of the militancy.

Aminul remains a fugitive since July 2007 when a Rajshahi court sentenced him to 31 and a half years' imprisonment for abetting militancy of the banned Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh.