Nazmul Huda has to surrender to trial court

Former BNP minister Nazmul Huda must surrender to the lower court in a bribery case, as the Supreme Court yesterday rejected his petition regarding his surrender to the trial court.

In the petition, Nazmul Huda prayed to the apex court to allow him to file an appeal with this court against a High Court verdict without surrendering to the lower court.

On November 8 last year, the HC commuted the jail term of the former communication minister to four years from seven years in the case filed during the regime of the military backed caretaker government, said Anti-Corruption Commission lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan.

The HC also ordered Nazmul Huda to surrender to the lower court in 45 days after the lower court receives the HC verdict.

Yesterday, a five-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Justice Md Abdul Wahhab Miah, who is performing functions of the chief justice, rejected the petition, considering that it was not moved for hearing.

Nazmul Huda's lawyer Nahid Sultana on record told the SC that her client instructed her not to proceed with the petition.

The ACC lawyer told The Daily Star that Barrister Nazmul Huda must surrender to the trial court in the bribery case involving Tk 2.4 crore following the SC order.

Advocate Khurshid also said they are yet to receive the copy of the HC verdict.

The ACC on March 21, 2007 filed the case with Dhanmondi Police Station alleging that Nazmul Huda took Tk 2.4 crore as bribe from a businessman, Mir Zahir Hossain, at different times, in exchange for awarding him five government contracts for construction works, including road renovations worth about Tk 30 crore.

A special court on August 27, 2007 sentenced Nazmul Huda to seven years' rigorous imprisonment and his wife Sigma Huda three years' imprisonment in the case.

On November 8 last year, the HC in the verdict said Sigma Huda's sentence will be considered as served because she earlier served jail in the case.