Aman, Mufti Shahidul get HC bail
The High Court (HC) yesterday granted bail for three months to former BNP state minister Aman Ullah Aman and former Islami Oikya Jote (IOJ) lawmaker Mufti Shahidul Islam in two cases filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on charges of amassing illegal wealth and concealing information about it.
Two special courts had earlier sentenced them to imprisonment for different terms in the cases. Both are now in jail.
After hearing two separate appeals filed by Aman and Shahidul against their conviction, an HC bench comprising Justice Justice Syed Muhammad Dastagir Husain and Justice Farid Ahmed granted them bail.
Meanwhile, Chamber Judge of the Supreme Court Justice MA Matin yesterday passed 'no orders' on the petitions filed by the ACC and government seeking stay on the HC orders granting bail to eight political leaders including former BNP ministers Moudud Ahmed, Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain and Altaf Hossain Chowdhury in separate corruption cases against them.
The other five are former Awami League state minister Obaidul Quader, former BNP state minister Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku, lawmakers Mosaddek Ali Falu and Salauddin Ahmed, and former mayor of Barisal City Corporation (BCC) Mojibur Rahamn Sarwar, also from BNP.
Lawyers concerned said the SC chamber judge's 'no orders' implied that the HC bail order would remain valid.
The chamber judge also asked the ACC and government to file regular leave to appeal with the SC against the HC orders, said the lawyers.
Moreover, An HC bench yesterday ordered the government not to harass or arrest AFM Bahauddin Nasim, president of Awami Swechhasebak League, and Alauddin Ahmed Chowdhury, former APS to the then leader of the opposition in parliament Sheikh Hasina, without due process of law.
The bench comprised of Justice Tariq ul Hakim and Justice Farah Mahbub.
On June 21 last year, a special court dealing with graft cases sentenced Amanullah Aman to 10 years' rigorous and three years' simple imprisonment and fined him Tk 10 lakh in the case filed by the ACC.
Another special court on March 19 this year sentenced Mufti Shahidul Islam to 10 years' rigorous imprisonment in the ACC case.
The convicts later appealed to the HC against their conviction.
Bahauddin Nasim and Alauddin Ahmed yesterday filed separate writ petitions with the HC stating that they apprehend law enforcers may harass and arrest them anytime.
Advocate Motahar Hossain Sazu, a counsel for the petitioners, said the HC bench issued the order in this regard and disposed of their writ petitions.
Earlier on Sunday, the same HC bench had asked Bahauddin,
Awami Jubo League President Jahangir Kabir Nanak and former president of Chhatra League Liaqat Shikder, facing criminal cases, to surrender to lower court within 10 weeks.
It had also directed police to refrain from arresting or harassing them during this period.
The HC orders followed their surrender to it seeking bails.
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