Trial to start at makeshift court in JS complex on April 20
The trial of the MiG-29 corruption case against detained former premier Sheikh Hasina and six others will be held at a makeshift Sessions Judge's Court at the Jatiya Sangsad (JS) Bhaban complex instead of the court in old Dhaka on security grounds.
The trial of the case will begin on April 20.
Meanwhile, the trial of the case against detained Lt Col (dismissed) Syed Faruk Rahman, Lt Maj (retd) Bazlul Huda and 14 others for making an attempt on Hasina's life in August, 1989 will begin soon at a court adjacent to the Dhaka Central Jail.
Judge Golam Mortuza Majumder of the Special Court for Dhaka Division set the next date for hearing on charge framing against Hasina and others after getting a gazette notification from the law ministry.
The gazette said the trial of the case would be held at the Jatiya Sangsad (JS) Bhaban complex instead of the court situated in old Dhaka on security grounds.
Earlier, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) commissioner appealed to the government on February 26 for setting up a sessions court adjacent to the sub-jail, where Hasina has been kept, citing security reasons.
The court directed the jail authorities to produce Hasina before the court on the scheduled date. The court also asked six other accused, who are now out on bail, to appear before the court on the same date.
Hasina's lawyers submitted a petition for adjourning proceedings of the case for two months saying that their client has been suffering from various diseases.
Earlier, the Supreme Court (SC) upheld the High Court (HC) judgement that ordered for holding the trial and also cleared the way for resuming the stalled trial proceedings.
The SC on March 18 dismissed the leave to appeal petition submitted by Hasina against the HC order that asked for revival of the case.
Hasina was not produced before the court during yesterday's hearing. But the six other accused were present.
They are former army chief Mustafizur Rahman, former air force chief Jamaluddin Ahmed, air commodore (retd) Mirza Akhter Maruf, former joint secretary Mohammad Hossain Serniabat, former defence secretary Syed Yusuf Hossain and Managing Director of Unique Group Nur Ali.
According to the case filed with Tejgaon Police Station against Hasina and four top defence officials, the purchase of eight MiG-29 fighter jets during the tenure of the Awami League government caused a loss of Tk 700 crore to the public exchequer.
The names of Brig Gen (retd) Iftekhar-Ul-Bashar and former deputy secretary Hasan Mahmood Delwar were dropped from the list of accused due to lack of evidence while former army chief Mustafizur Rahman, air commodore (retd) Mirza Akhter Maruf, former joint secretary Hossain Serniabat and businessman Nur Ali were indicted in the case after investigators found their involvement in the alleged scam.
Inspector Abdullah Al Zahid of now-defunct Bureau of Anti-corruption submitted the charge sheet to the Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court on December 11, 2001, showing 40 people as prosecution witnesses.
Later, all the accused including Hasina filed petitions with the High Court on different dates for quashing the case. Following their petitions, the High Court stayed the case proceedings.
Hasina was arrested on July 16 last year after businessman Azam J Chowdhury filed an extortion case against her.
Four other cases were also filed against her on different dates.
CASE AGAINST FARUK
The trial of the case against Faruk, Huda and 14 others will be held at the special court adjacent to Dhaka Central Jail, court sources said.
The law ministry on Tuesday sent a gazette notification asking Speedy Trial Tribunal-4 Judge Mohammad Israil Hossain for holding its trial at the new courtroom from the next date.
According to the prosecution, a group of Freedom Party activists blasted bombs and fired shots aiming at the house of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in an attempt to kill Sheikh Hasina who was staying in the house on August 11 night, 1989. Later, they left the scene by two vehicles chanting slogans 'Faruk-Rashid Zindabad'.
Havildar Jahirul Haque filed a general diary with Dhanmondi Police Station. Later, an investigation was conducted in this regard.
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) pressed charges against 16 people including Faruk, Huda and Rashid on February 20, 1997. But the trial of the case could not begin in the last 11 years due to legal tangles.
Earlier, Huda, Faruk and Rashid were sentenced to death in the Bangabandhu murder case and life term imprisonment in the jail killing case.
Comments