Bangladesh News

A Dhaka court on Saturday placed detained BNP leader and former law minister Moudud Ahmed on a four-day remand in connection with the case filed for smuggling in contraband foreign liquors and possessing those.

Moudud, arrested by the army-led joint forces from his Gulshan residence on Friday, was sued under Section 25 (B) of the Special Powers Act, 1974 for bringing the foreign liquors, evading government tax.

Police produced Moudud, who is also a member of the BNP Standing Committee, before the court of Metropolitan Magistrate MA Salam at around 3:00pm with a petition for a seven-day remand.

If the charges against Moudud are proved, he will have to face a term of minimum seven years and maximum life term imprisonment or death penalty, legal experts said.

Law enforcers are now quizzing the influential ex-BNP minister.

Moudud is now under the custody of the joint forces, Gulshan police yesterday said.

The forwarding report that the Investigation Officer (IO) of the case placed before the court said the accused has committed crime as he possessed foreign liquor and beer that he had smuggled into the country evading tax.

There is strong possibility of recovering contraband foreign liquor and getting information regarding the matter and so, the accused needs to be taken on a seven-day remand for proper investigation of the case, the IO added in the forwarding.

The IO also mentioned that through misuse of power during his ministership Moudud had kept sarees, meant for the poor as government relief, in his possession. Besides, the ex-minister did not distribute those to the people, which is a corruption.

Filing a separate case by the Anti-Corruption Commission in this regard is now under process and subject to investigation.

On March 25, the National Board of Revenue directed banks to freeze the accounts of Moudud Ahmed and his wife.

The defence lawyers submitted a petition seeking cancellation of the remand prayer. They argued that the accused is 70-year-old and sick and the case was filed to tarnish his image.

The prosecution said that information regarding the case would be revealed if the accused is placed on remand during the investigation.

After hearing both the sides, the magistrate rejected the petition for remand cancellation saying that it is a case under the Special Powers Act. He also directed the IO to arrange necessary medical treatment for Moudud.

The IO of the case Obaidul Haque who is also the officer-in-charge of Gulshan Police Station told The Daily Star yesterday that under interrogation, Moudud has started giving significant information. He however refused to divulge the information for the sake of investigation.