Graft: Trial against BNP ex-minister Altaf Hossain to go on

The High Court today cleared the way for a lower court to continue the trial proceedings against former BNP minister Altaf Hossain Chowdhury in a corruption case.

The HC summarily rejected a revision petition filed by Altaf Hossain Chowdhury challenging the trial court order that framed charges against him the last year in the case filed during the regime of the military-backed caretaker government.

In the revision petition, the accused BNP leader prayed to the HC to stay the trial proceedings against him in the case.

Today, the HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Shahidul Karim passed the rejection order saying that there are specific allegations against the accused in this case and it should be examined by the trial court. 

The Anti-Corruption Commission filed the case on December 18, 2007 with Ramna Police Station against Altaf for concealing information or giving false information about movable wealth worth Tk 59 lakh and amassing wealth worth Tk 2.56 crore beyond known sources of income.

ACC’s lawyer Advocate KhurshidAlam Khan told The Daily Star today that there is no legal bar for the trial court concerned to run the trial proceedings against Altaf Hossain Chowdhury following the HC order.

Barrister AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon appeared for Altaf.