Ex-BRTC boss Taimur jailed for 14yrs

A special court yesterday sentenced detained former Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) chairman Taimur Alam Khondaker to 14 years' rigorous imprisonment (RI) in two separate bribery cases.
Judge Khandaker Kamal Uz-Zaman of Special Court-9, set up on the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban premises, awarded Taimur seven years' RI each in the two cases for taking bribe during his tenure as the BRTC chief.
The court also fined Taimur Tk 50 lakh in the two cases, in default of which he has to suffer two years more in prison.
Anti-Corruption Commission Deputy Director Golam Mostofa filed the two cases with Paltan Police Station on August 14 last year.
According to the case statement, Taimur received Tk 25 lakh in bribe from Nikunja Model Service Centre in 2006 for allocating land to the company for setting up a CNG filling station at Khilkhet. He took Tk 12.5 lakh through pay orders and the rest in cash.
It was mentioned in the statement of the second case that Taimur took Tk 22.5 lakh in bribe from SR Tractors owner Shamsul Huda through 12 pay orders.
Taimur, while serving as the BRTC chairman struck a deal with SR Tractors, the agent for Pragati Industries Ltd, for purchasing 73 buses and trucks in 2004. But when the vehicles were ready for delivery, he threatened to cancel the deal if he was not paid the money, the statement added.
The joint forces arrested Taimur, also general secretary of Narayanganj district BNP, on April 18 last year on charges of corruption.