Rehana given 7 days to surrender

A Dhaka court yesterday directed the authorities concerned to publish advertisements in two Bangla national dailies asking Sheikh Rehana, who lives in the UK, to surrender before the court by November 18 in connection with a Tk 2.99crore extortion case.
Meantime, another Dhaka court asked Awami League (AL) leader and former chief whip Abul Hasnat Abdullah to appear before the court by November 14 in connection with a tax evasion case.
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Shawkat Ali Chowdhury passed the order after the investigation officer (IO) of the extortion case submitted a report regarding the arrest warrant against Rehana and attachment order of her properties.
Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Gulshan Police Station Obaidul Haq, the IO of the case, in his report mentioned that after receiving the arrest warrant and the attachment order, he went to Rehana's Gulshan residence to arrest her and attach her properties.
But he failed to arrest Rehana as she was out of the country. Neither did he find any property that belonged to her. He later posted copies of the arrest warrant and attachment order near Rehana's residence, the IO added.
Earlier on October 24, the same court accepted charge sheet of the case and issued arrest warrant against Rehana and ordered to attach all her properties.
The court issued the order following a prayer submitted by the IO of the case showing Rehana fugitive.
The other two accused in the case, Awami League (AL) chief and former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and their cousin Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, were arrested earlier and are currently detained in separate prisons.
On July 24, the IO of the case submitted the charge sheet against Hasina, Rehana and Selim to the Court of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, showing 24 people as prosecution witnesses.
Azam J Chowdhury, managing director of Eastcoast Trading Pvt Ltd, filed the case on June 13 against former prime minister Hasina and her cousin Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim with Gulshan Police Station, accusing them of extorting Tk 2.99 crore from him.
Rehana's name was later included in the charge sheet as the IO found her involvement in the extortion during investigation.
Joint forces arrested the AL chief in connection with the case on July 16 and produced her before a magistrate's court that sent her to a sub-jail custody.
Two more extortion cases and a graft case were filed with Tejgaon Police Station against the former premier on April 9, June 13 and September 2.
HASNAT CASE
Judge Mohammad Azizul Haque of Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court passed the order as Hasnat failed to comply with its previous order to appear before the court.
Earlier on October 25, the same court issued an arrest warrant against him and ordered to attach his properties following a tax evasion case filed by Assistant Tax Commissioner Mohammad Safiul Azam of National Board of Revenue (NBR).
In his case statement, Safiul Azam mentioned that Hasnat, chairman and adviser of Proden Textiles Ltd and Kanta Corporation (Pvt) Ltd, evaded tax on his income of Tk 11,557,358 earned in fiscal years 2001 through 2007.