Khaleda, Moudud shown held

Detained former premier Khaleda Zia and two of her detained former cabinet colleagues including former law minister Moudud Ahmed were shown arrested yesterday in connection with Niko graft case.
Following separate petitions filed by the investigation officer (IO) of the case, ACC Assistant Director SM Sahidur Rahman, the order was issued by Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Golam Rabbani, which also showed detained former energy minister AKM Mosharraf Hossain as arrested.
The IO in the petitions filed yesterday -- one against Khaleda Zia and Mosharraf, and the other against Moudud -- mentioned that for the sake of fair investigation the accused needed to be shown as arrested.
Earlier on December 9, ACC Assistant Director Mahbubul Alam filed the case against Khaleda Zia and four others saying that although Khaleda Zia had been the custodian of the country's wealth as the prime minister, she awarded Niko an opportunity to extract gas worth Tk10,000 crore, criminally violating her oath, abusing her power unlawfully, and through corruption.
The ACC however did not take any decision regarding two other accused in the case -- former acting energy secretary Khandaker Shahidul Islam, and Vice-president (South Aisa) of Niko Research Bangladesh Ltd Kashem Sharif.
Khaleda Zia was detained on September 3 following filing of the first graft case by the ACC against her and her younger son Arafat Rahman Koko, in connection with alleged violation of tender conditions in appointing Gatco, an indenting house, for container handling at Dhaka inland container depot and at Chittagong port yard.
Confirming ACC's move to show the former premiere along with two of her former cabinet colleagues arrested, ACC Director General (Admin) Col Hanif Iqbal said, "A requisition order for documents was also issued by the ACC."
"Once the documents are gathered, the IO will take depositions, question witnesses and suspects, and visit places for investigation," he added.
Sources in the ACC said depositions of secretaries to different ministries including energy and law ministries, and former officials of the Prime Ministers Office might also be questioned.
The sources added that the ACC issued notices to different ministries and departments including Bapex, Titas, Petrobangla, Sylhet Gas Field, Bangladesh Gas Field Ltd, and the energy ministry, asking them to provide the investigators with necessary documents.
The ACC will complete the process of gathering documents and visiting different places within a short period of time, they said.
Former energy adviser Mahmudur Rahman's statement will also be taken as he opposed awarding the deal to Niko. The ACC is considering Mauhmudur as an important witness in the case, the sources said adding that persons involved at different levels of the process of awarding the job to Niko, from preparing the proposal to the awarding of the job, will also be questioned.
Meanwhile, no progress has been made in the investigation of the case filed against former premier Sheikh Hasina and six others for allegedly inflicting an enormous amount of loss on the state through awarding gas deals to Canadian gas exploration company Niko by abusing their power.
"No progress has been made yet in the investigation of the case against Hasina," said Iqbal.
The co-accused of Sheikh Hasina in the case are -- detained former state minister for energy Rafiqul Islam, former principal secretary to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) Dr SA Samad, former energy secretaries Dr Towfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury and M Akmal Hossain, former Petro Bangla chairman Mosharraf Hossain, and Vice-president (South Aisa) of Niko Research Bangladesh Ltd Kashem Sharif.
The joint forces arrested Awami League (AL) President Sheikh Hasina from her Dhanmondi residence in the capital on July 16 while hearing of the charge framing against the AL leader was being held under special arrangement.
The ACC yesterday also approved filing of the first information report against AL's Nur-E-Alam Chowdhury Liton in connection with amassing wealth that is not corroborated by his known sources of income.