Hasina case sent to special court for fast disposal

The case against detained former premier Sheikh Hasina and seven others for taking bribe of Tk 3 crore in connection with the installation of a power plant in Khulna was transferred yesterday to the First Special Court at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar MP Hostel.
Meanwhile, a Dhaka court allowed the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to interrogate detained former law minister barrister Moudud Ahmed and former state minister for energy AKM Mosharraf Hossain at the jail gate in connection with the Niko graft case.
Besides, former president and Jatiya Party (JP) Chairman HM Ershad and his wife Rawshan Ershad were granted bail in a theft case filed by Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) in January 2006.
HASINA CASE
After scrutinising the case docket (CD) and other relevant documents, Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge Mohammad Azizul Haque transferred the case for its quick disposal.
The court also fixed February 3 for hearing on charge framing against Hasina and seven others.
Former energy secretary Dr Toufiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury was sent to jail on January 16 after he surrendered before the court and sought bail.
Former Power Development Board (PDB) chairman Noor Uddin Mahmud Kamal and five others have been absconding since the case was filed against them.
Earlier, the court issued arrest warrant against them and ordered to attach their properties following the plea of the investigation officer (IO) of the case.
Other five accused are Summit Industries and Mercantile Corporation Private Ltd Managing Director Aziz Khan, its Director Farid Khan, United Group Chairman Hasan Mahmud Raja, its Director Abul Kalam Azad and Bangabandhu Memorial Trust (BMT) Curator Sayed Siddiqur Rahman.
ACC Deputy Director Morshed Alam, also the IO of the case, submitted the charge sheet to Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court on January 10.
The name of BMT Curator Sayed Siddiqur Rahman was included in the charge sheet as his involvement with the graft was found during investigation.
ACC Deputy Director Sabbir Hasan filed the case with Tejgaon Police Station on September 2, 2007.
NIKO CASE
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Golam Rabbani yesterday passed the order to interrogate Moudud and Mosharraf following a petition submitted by ACC Assistant Director and IO of the case SM Shahidur Rahman on Sunday.
Earlier, detained former premier Khaleda Zia, Moudud and Mosharraf were shown arrested in the case on December 30 last year following a petition by the IO.
ACC Assistant Director Mahbubul Alam filed the case with Tejgaon Police Station against Khaleda and four others on December 9.
The case statement said Khaleda, despite being the custodian of the country's wealth as a prime minister, awarded Niko the opportunity to extract gas worth Tk 10,000 crore abusing her power.
Two other accused are former energy secretary Khandaker Shahidul Islam, and Vice president (South Asia) of Niko Research Bangladesh Ltd Kashem Sharif.
ERSHAD CASE
The Dhaka chief metropolitan magistrate (CMM) passed the bail order after Ershad and Rawshan sought bail in the case appearing before the court.
Sub-inspector (SI) Lutfor Rahman Sharif, also IO of the case, submitted the charge sheet against Ershad, Rawshan and JP Presidium Member Abu Hossain Babla to the Dhaka CCM Court on December 13 last year showing 27 people as prosecution witnesses.
Dhaka city unit CPB General Secretary Ahsan Habib Lablu filed the case with Paltan Police Station against the three and a large number of unknown JP activists on January 1, 2006.
It was mentioned that a JP procession led by Ershad and Rowshan celebrating the party's 20th anniversary tried to march towards the Baitul Mukarram Mosque and came face-to-face with CPB activists holding a rally in front of its office.
The CPB leaders and on-duty policemen asked the JP leaders to change their route but they refused to do so.
At one stage, the JP activists attacked the CPB activists with sticks leaving several CPB central committee members, including CPB President Manzurul Ahsan Khan injured.
A number of JP central committee members were also injured in the incident.
The JP activists set fire to a dozen vehicles, several book shops, a mobile phone shop and a rickshaw around Paltan Crossing and Bijoy Nagar during the violence between 4:30pm and 6:30pm.
They damaged furniture and other materials worth about Tk 50 lakh at Mukti Bhaban and also took away valuables from there, the first information report (FIR) said.