HC clears way for graft trial of ex-judge

The High Court yesterday cleared the way for the lower court concerned to continue the trial proceedings of a corruption case filed against former adviser of the caretaker government Justice Fazlul Haque.

The court summarily rejected a petition filed by Fazlul Haque, also a retired judge of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, for scrapping the trial proceedings of the case.

The bench of Justice Md Shawkat Hossain and Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder passed the order after holding hearing on the petition.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on April 13, 2008 filed the case with Ramna Police Station against Fazlul Haque on charges of amassing wealth worth Tk97.37 lakh through illegal means and concealing asset information from the ACC.

ACC's lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan told The Daily Star that there is no legal bar for the trial court to continue trial proceedings of the corruption case against Justice Fazlul Haque following the HC order.

Fazlul Haque's lawyer Advocate Helal Uddin Mollah told this correspondent that his client will move an appeal before the Appellate Division seeking stay on the HC order and the trial proceedings of the case.

Justice Fazlul Haque is now on bail, he added.