Bangladesh News

After deferring twice earlier, a Dhaka court is likely to deliver today the verdict on the graft case against the deposed president and Jatiya Party (JP) Chairman HM Ershad.

The case was filed against Ershad in connection with the allotment of plots to 49 people including the then five ministers, while he was in power.

Judge SM Mojibur Rahman of the First Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court will deliver the verdict at 11:00am, court sources said.

The delivery of the verdict was adjourned on its earlier scheduled dates of August 27, as the court could not complete preparing the judgement and on September 11, due to a power cut in the court.

The trial of the plot allotment case began in 1998. The court completed its hearing on August 13 this year.

The court framed charges against Ershad and acquitted the then Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) chairman Rahamat Ullah on March 9, 1992 as no conclusive evidence was found against him.

Mohammad Sajjad Hossain, an official of the now-defunct Bureau of Anti-Corruption (Bac), filed the case against Ershad with Motijheel Police Station on April 22, 1991.The investigation officer (IO) of the case pressed charges against Ershad and Rahamat Ullah on December 9 the same year.

The prosecution claimed that the then president Ershad directed authorities concerned to allot plots in Gulshan, Banani, Baridhara and Uttara residential areas to 49 people during 1988-1990, violating the government and Rajuk provisions.

The court recorded statements of only four prosecution witnesses since the beginning of trial on April 23, 1998.

The court could not complete arguments of the case as the prosecution and the defence had sought time on different excuses since August 2002.

Ershad was acquitted in three graft cases last month amid speculations about his joining the ruling BNP-led alliance ahead of the next parliamentary elections.