Dab leader Dr Zahid gets 13yrs

A Dhaka court yesterday sentenced AZM Zahid Hossain, secretary general of Doctors Association of Bangladesh (DAB), a pro-BNP doctors' association, to 13 years' imprisonment for amassing wealth illegally and concealing information about his actual wealth in the wealth statement submitted to the Anti-corruption Commission (ACC).
The court also sentenced Zahid's wife Rifat Hossain to three years' imprisonment for abetting her husband in amassing wealth worth around Tk 3.98 crore illegally.
Judge Tanzina Ismail of Special Court-6, set up on the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban premises, also fined Zahid Tk 10 lakh in default to which he would have to serve one more year in jail. Rifat was fined Tk 50,000, in default to which she would have to spend one more month in jail.
The court also ordered the authorities concerned to confiscate his illegally-earned wealth.
The DAB leader was handed down 10 years' rigorous imprisonment for accumulating wealth illegally and three years' simple imprisonment for concealing information about his true wealth in the wealth statement submitted to the ACC. The sentences will run consecutively.
As the couple is absconding, their sentences will come into effect the day of their arrest or surrender.
ACC Assistant Director Nasiruddin Ahmed lodged the case with Ramna Police Station on October 3 last year in connection with hiding information about their wealth worth over Tk 2.22 crore.
The court framed charges against the couple on March 18 this year.
Zahid's name was on the second list of corruption suspects published by the ACC.