Over 150 bigwigs obtained bail from the High Court (HC) in last two months in different cases filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), the government and individuals, and most of them have already been released from jails.
ACC sources say the HC has stayed proceedings of at least 120 graft cases in this period. Following petitions filed by the accused, the HC also issued rules upon the state as to why the petitioners should not be granted regular bail and the proceedings against them should not be quashed.
The HC also quashed proceedings of the cases against 15 people, who were accused by the ACC of abetting and aiding the principal accused in amassing illegal wealth and concealing wealth information.
The accused who were granted bail include BNP Chairperson and former premier Khaleda Zia, Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Motiur Rahman Nizami, former BNP ministers M Saifur Rahman, Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, M Shamsul Islam, MK Anwar, Dr Khandker Mosharraf Hossain, former prime minister's parliamentary affairs adviser Salauddin Quader Chowdhury, AKM Mosharraf Hossain, former BNP state ministers Aman Ullah Aman and Barkat Ullah Bulu, former BNP deputy minister Asadul Habib Dulu, former Awami League (AL) ministers Tofail Ahmed, Sajeda Chowdhury, Mohammad Nasim and Mosharraf Hossain, and former AL state ministers Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir and Obaidul Kader, BNP's Senior Joint Secretary General Tarique Rahman, his close friend and controversial businessman Giasuddin-al Mamun, former BNP lawmakers Shahidul Islam Master, Salauddin Ahmed, Mashiur Rahman and Abul Khair Bhuiyan, former Jamaat lawmaker Abdullah Mohammad Abu Taher, Mizanur Rahman Chowdhury and Shahjahan Chowdhury and businessman Salman F Rahman.
Among the accused, Khaleda obtained ad-interim bail in two cases, her son Tarique Rahman ad interim bail in all 13 cases, Khandker Mosharraf in all 12 cases, Salauddin Quader Chowdhury in six cases, and Giasuddin-al Mamun in 12 out of 14 cases.
AL President and former premier Sheikh Hasina, who is now abroad on parole, did not get bail in any of the 14 criminal cases against her.
An HC bench on February 6 this year upon a petition granted ad-interim bail to Hasina in the Tk 3 crore extortion case filed by businessman Azam J Chowdhury.
The bench also quashed proceedings against her in this case and declared illegal bringing the case under the Emergency Power Rules (EPR), 2007. Against the HC verdict, the government filed an appeal with the Supreme Court (SC), which on May 8 revoked it.
Hasina has recently filed a writ with the HC challenging legality of initiation and continuation of the case and the HC on August 28 issued a rule upon the government to show cause as to why the initiation and continuation should not be declared illegal.
An ACC lawyer yesterday told The Daily Star the HC has granted bail on a few grounds to those who were accused of committing corruption, extortion and other crimes.
"The main ground is that the ACC officials could not submit investigation reports within the stipulated 60 days after filing the cases. But the provision of submitting investigation reports within 60 days after filing the cases is not mandatory. We'll prove it when detailed hearing of the HC rules will take place," he added.
He, however, said the hearing on the HC rules would not be held till October 11, the day of reopening of the HC after its annual vacation.
"The vacation of the HC starts on August 31 and continues until October 11. In this period five benches including our division benches will hear and dispose of the urgent matters. The rules earlier issued by it would not be heard during the vacation," he said.
He added the ACC would fight the legal battle against the graft suspects in the HC after the vacation and would take the legal initiative as per the HC guidelines.
Sources say the ACC, the government and individuals have so far filed cases against 1,139 people and the ACC pressed charges in 188 cases.
The special courts dealing with the graft cases have convicted over 100 people with imprisonment of different terms.
The convicts include Nazmul Huda and his wife Sigma Huda, Mirza Abbas, his wife Afroza Abbas, and his brother Mirza Khokon, Harris Chowdhury, Aman Ullah Aman and his wife Sabera Aman, Giasuddin-al Mamun, his wife Shahida Yasmin, Mamun's brother former lawmaker Hafiz Ibrahim, Mir Mohammad Nasir Uddin, his son Mir Helal Uddin, OC of Fatullah Ashraful Islam, AL leaders Nasim and his wife Liala Arjumand Banu, Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir, Manjurul Ahsan Munshi, Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku, Dr Firoz Mahmud Iqbal and his wife Imtiaz Begum, Orion Group Chairman Obaidul Karim, Salauddin Ahmed, former secretary ANH Akhter Hossain and his wife Naznin Banu, Rashid-un Nabi Millat, SM Ahsan Habib, Mofazzal Haider Chowdhury Maya and his son Dipu Chowdhury, Sheikh Helal Uddin and his wife Rupa Chowdhury, Abul Hasnat Abdullah, Mufti Shahidul Islam, Atiqullah Khan Masud and his wife Shamima Khan.
More than 30 of the convicts have filed appeals with the HC against the punishment handed down by the special courts set up on the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban premises.
The appeals are now pending with the HC.