Shah Alam gets bails in 4 more cases

Three separate Dhaka courts yesterday granted bails in four cases to Ahmed Akbar Sobhan alias Shah Alam, Bashundhara Group chairman, in connection with land grabbing cases.
The courts granted the bails when Shah Alam along with his lawyers including Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh appeared before the courts to seek bail in the cases.
All the cases were filed with Badda Police Station in 2007.
The lawyers said their client had appeared before the courts as per direction from the High Court (HC).
Metropolitan Public Prosecutor Abdullah Abu, who was present during hearing on the bail petitions, did not raise any objection.
Metropolitan Magistrate Md Shahadat Hossain asked Shah Alam how he came to know about the cases filed against him as he has been absconding for a long time.
Shah Alam told the court that he was abroad when the cases were filed against him during the caretaker government.
Hazera Parvin of Badda filed the case against Shah Alam on February 24, 2007 on charge of illegal trespass, stealing away her demarcation pillars that caused a loss of Tk 3 lakh in December 2001.
Metropolitan Magistrate Dilara Alo Chandana granted another bail to Shah Alam upon a bond of Tk 10,000 with two guarantors after he appeared before it and sought bail in the case filed for grabbing land in November 2006.
Navy Commander Kazi Sarwar Hossain filed the case against the accused on February 24, 2007.
Metropolitan Magistrate Rashed Kabir granted Shah Alam bails in two other cases filed on March 18 and April 25 in 2007 on charges of misappropriating Tk 30 lakh and grabbing land.
Shah Alam's lawyers submitted petitions for exempting him from personal appearance but the courts asked him to appear on the scheduled dates for next hearing.
Arrest warrants were also issued against Shah Alam in all the cases as he went into hiding.
Earlier, on August 19, Shah Alam got bail in another case filed with the same police station for grabbing public properties. The case was filed on June 7, 2007 against him and three others.
Shah Alam was also sued for acquiring illegal wealth and giving Tk 21 crore in bribe to save his son Shafiyat Sobhan Sanvir from Humayun Kabir Sabbir killing case.
Earlier, he was convicted for evading tax and possessing illegal foreign and local currencies.