HC may today set date for rehearing

A High Court bench is likely to fix today the dates for hearing the appeals filed by seven corruption convicts, including Relief and Disaster Management Minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya, said an Anti Corruption Commission lawyer.

The other six are former BNP minister Nazmul Huda, his wife Sigma Huda, former state ministers Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku and Amanullah Aman, Aman's wife Sabera Aman and Engineer Monjurul Ahsan Munshi.

The bench of Justice Bhabani Prasad Singha and Justice SM Mozibur Rahman accepted the pleas, challenging the sevens' convictions and sentence, yesterday after ACC lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan prayed for fixing dates for the hearing.

The counsel told the bench that the Supreme Court had sent the appeals to the HC for their rehearing and disposals, after scrapping HC verdicts that had acquitted the accused in the cases filed by the corruption watchdog.

He told The Daily Star that the appeals could be included in today's cause list.

Khurshid said another HC bench led by Justice Md Nizamul Huq was scheduled to rehear a similar appeal by former BNP state minister Mir Mohammad Nasir Uddin and his son Mir Helal Uddin against their conviction and sentence in a graft case.

In February 2008, a special court sentenced Maya to 13 years' jail for illegally amassing wealth worth Tk 6.29 crore and concealing assets worth Tk 5.9 crore. The court also fined the AL leader Tk 5 crore. In October 2010, the HC cleared him of the charges.

But on June 14 this year, the Supreme Court scrapped the HC judgment and directed it to hold further hearing, and dispose of Maya's appeal challenging the lower court verdict.

Separate special courts convicted Nazmul, Sigma, Tuku, Aman, Sabera and Munshi and sentenced them to imprisonments on different terms during the military-backed caretaker government rule.

The HC following their appeals scrapped their convictions and acquitted them of the charges.

Later, the ACC filed appeals with the SC challenging the HC verdicts that paved the way for a rehearing.