A Dhaka court yesterday granted bail to former director of Dhaka Medical College Hospital Brig Gen (Retd) Bazle Qader in 10 graft cases filed against him for misappropriating over Tk 6.68 crore through drug purchase.
Judge Mohammad Zahurul Haque of the Senior Special Judge's Court granted the bail upon a bond of Tk 20,000 with two guarantors amid the protest by the prosecution.
The court gave the order after hearing on the petitions filed by Bazle Qader challenging the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Court's order that sent him to jail rejecting his bail petitions on January 18.
Special Public Prosecutor Kabir Hussain told The Daily Star that if such an accused gets bail, corruption will increase and the corrupt persons will be encouraged in committing such offences.
Bazle Qader submitted 10 criminal appeals on January 25 against the CMM court order.
Asked about the bail order, senior lawyer Shahjahan Miah told The Daily Star that the court has a discretionary power to grant bail to any accused, but it should not grant bail such a corrupt person who had misappropriated a huge amount of money through drug purchase.
ACC Assistant Director Syed Tahsinul Haque filed the cases with Shahbagh Police Station against Bazle Quader and seven others on November 16 last year.
Other accused are former DMCH deputy director Foyzullah; senior lecturer of practical pharmacy Moshiur Rahman; DMCH deputy director Kazi Enamul Kabir; Assistant Prof Atiar Rahman, social welfare officer Sayeeda Akhter, accountant Nazrul Islam and sub-divisional engineer of the Public Works Department Satinath Boshak.