Khaleda, Nizami, Tarique, SQ Chy get HC bail
The High Court (HC) yesterday granted a four-month ad interim bail to detained BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and her son Tarique Rahman in the "Zia Orphanage Trust" fund embezzlement case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
The HC granted anticipatory bail to Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Motiur Rahman Nizami in the Barapukuria coalmine corruption case until the trial court concerned accepts the charge sheet of the Barapukuria coalmine corruption case.
The HC also granted ad interim bail to Salauddin Quader Chowdhury, former parliamentary affairs adviser to former prime minister Khaleda Zia, and Giasuddin Al Mamun, friend of Tarique Rahman, in separate criminal cases.
Hearing the petitions, an HC bench comprised of Justice Sharif Uddin Chaklader and Justice Md Emdadul Haque Azad issued separate rules upon the government to explain as to why the petitioners should not be granted regular bail.
CASE AGAINST KHALEDA, TARIQUE
Khaleda and Tarique on August 25 filed separate petitions with the HC for bail in the case.
The HC bench issued the rule upon the government to show cause within six weeks as to why they should not be granted regular bail.
Barrister Mahbubuddin Khokon, a counsel for Tarique Rahman, yesterday told The Daily Star that the HC would hear five bail petitions filed by his client today.
ACC Deputy Assistant Director Harun-ur-Rashid filed the "Zia Orphanage Trust" fund embezzlement case against Khaleda, her son Tarique and five others on July 3 in connection with embezzling over Tk 2.10 crore by forming the fake organisation.
The five other accused are former BNP lawmaker Qazi Saleemul Huq Kamal, Sayeed Ahmed, Gias Uddin Ahmed, Sharfuddin Ahmed and Mominur Rahman, son of Khaleda's sister.
CASE AGAINST NIZAMI
Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Motiur Rahman Nizami, also former industries minister, obtained anticipatory bail till the trial court concerned accepts the charge sheet of the Barapukuria coalmine corruption case.
Hearing the bail petition, the HC also issued a rule upon the government to explain within two weeks as to why Nizami should not be granted regular bail in this case.
On February 26 this year, the ACC filed the case against detained BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and 15 others, including 10 former ministers from BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami, in connection with corruption in awarding Barapukuria coalmine operation contract to a Chinese company.
CASES AGAINST SQ CHOWDHURY
The HC bench upon three petitions filed by Salauddin Quader Chowdhury granted six months' ad interim bail in two extortion cases and four months' ad interim bail in a cattle lifting case.
The court also stayed for six months the proceedings of the extortion cases and stayed the proceedings of the cattle lifting case for four months.
His lawyer Omar Sadat told The Daily Star that Awami League activists of Rangunia in Chittagong filed the cases with Rangunia Police Station in 2007.
He said in the cattle lifting case SQ Chowdhury is accused of stealing five cows and seven goats from the plaintiff with the help of his followers in 2001.
Sadat said all the "baseless" cases were filed against SQ Chowdhury with the political intension to harass him.
CASES AGAINST MAMUN
The HC granted six months' ad interim bail to Giasuddin Al Mamun in two extortion cases filed with Gulshan Police Station. The court also stayed proceedings of the cases for six months.
His lawyer Fakhrul Islam said his client has obtained bail in 14 criminal cases and in each of two cases he was sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment.
"Mamun has appealed to the HC for bail in the cases in which he was convicted by special courts. If he is granted bail in these cases, there will be no legal bar to releasing him," he said.
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