Lakehead owner granted bail

A Dhaka court yesterday granted bail to Khaled Hassan Matin, owner of Lakehead Grammar School, in a bribery case as the sections under which the case was filed are bailable. 

Judge Kamrul Hossain Mollah of the Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court of Dhaka passed the order after Matin's lawyer had moved a criminal appeal against the rejection order of the lower court.

The Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court of Dhaka rejected the bail and sent Matin along with two education ministry officials to jail after they were produced before it.

Two other accused are: Motaleb Hossain, personal official of Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid, and Nasir Uddin, upper division assistant of the ministry.

Court sources said the Anti-Corruption Commission was yet to appoint any investigation officer to probe the allegations brought against them.

A DB team arrested the two ministry staff and the Lakehead owner in the capital's Gulshan and Basila areas on January 22 and a case was filed against them with Banani Police Station.

According to the prosecution, it was alleged that Nasiruddin was detained in Gulshan with Tk 1.3 lakh in his possession. Detectives later arrested Motaleb at Basila following information gleaned from Nasiruddin. Matin was held from Gulshan in another drive.

On November 7 last year, the district administration of Dhaka sealed off Dhanmondi and Gulshan branches of the school, closing all its activities on allegations of patronising militancy, inspiring extremist views and helping militant outfits.

The Supreme Court later ordered reopening the school with a new board of directors including military officials and the Dhaka divisional commissioner in the chair.

On January 13, the school reopened.

Sources said its owner made a deal of around Tk 5 lakh with Motaleb and Nasir to expedite the process of its reopening following the court order.