Court accepts graft charges against Sircar, Hamid

Sircar and Hamid

A Dhaka court on Thursday accepted the charges against former speaker Jamir Uddin Sircar, his deputy Akhtar Hamid Siddiqui and a former official of the Parliament Secretariat in five corruption cases.

The court fixed July 11 for starting hearing on charge framing against them in the cases.

After scrutinising the case dockets and other relevant documents, Judge Md Zahirul Haque of the Court of Senior Special Judge passed the order.

Hamid and Ashraf-ul-Islam, former chief accounts officer of the Parliament Secretariat, were present at the courtroom while Sircar remained absent.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on December 28, 2010 filed the cases with Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station in the capital.

The anti-graft body pressed charges against the three in November last year.

According to a case statement, Sircar drew around Tk 27.86 lakh in the name of treatment abroad. He himself approved the amount, abusing his power as the speaker. He was aided and abetted by Ashraf.

Sircar has been charged with abuse of power in two other cases for drawing around Tk 6 lakh and Tk 1.21 lakh in the name of overseas treatment. BNP leader Khandaker Delwar Hossain and Hamid were also made accused in the cases.

Another case statement says Delwar moved furniture worth Tk 6.09 lakh from the chief whip's official residence to his own house on Sircar's approval, which was unlawful.