Arrest warrant against Justice Fazlul Huq

A Dhaka court yesterday issued an arrest warrant against former caretaker government adviser Justice Fazlul Huq in a case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) for amassing illegal wealth worth Tk 89.81 lakh and concealing its information from the commission.
After scrutinising the case docket and other documents, Judge Mohammad Azizul Haque of the Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court passed the order.
The court directed the authorities concerned to send a copy of the arrest warrant to the officer-in-charge (IO) of Dhanmondi Police Station to execute it. The court also asked police to report by September 9.
Earlier on Tuesday, Fazlul Huq sought to file a bail petition and secure bail from the High Court (HC) but failed as the HC bench concerned did not sit.
ACC Assistant Director Mohammad Ibrahim, also the investigating officer (IO) of the case, submitted the charge sheet to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court, Dhaka, on Tuesday showing 38 people as prosecution witnesses.
He prayed for issuance of an arrest warrant against Fazlul Huq and the court order to attach his properties as he “has been absconding” since filing of the case.
In the charge sheet, the investigating officer mentioned that Fazlul Huq amassed wealth worth Tk 89,81,201 through illegal means and concealed information of wealth worth Tk 90,97,514 from the ACC.
The ACC official also mentioned that Huq transacted Tk 12,99,26,912 to and from different bank accounts in the names of his son Dr Afzal Hossain Raj, son-in-law Tariqur Rahman Prince and Raj's friends Abdul Malek, Sujaul Hasan Sujan and Ataul Haque.
Fazlul Huq submitted his wealth statement to the ACC on November 26 last year and the anti-graft body filed the case against Huq on April 13 this year.
Earlier, Fazlul Huq was accused of taking Tk 1.25 crore in bribe while he was in charge of the forest, land and law ministries.