Bangladesh News

For the first time since the special courts started functioning in May to try high-profile corrupt suspects, two eminent citizens and a foreigner yesterday appeared in one court as defence witnesses.

In their testimonies for former state minister for planning Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir in a graft case, all the three defence witnesses told the court that they know him as an honest person.

Prosecutor of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) cross-examined the wintnesses for Alamgir, also a presidium member of Awami League.

The three — Akbar Ali Khan, former adviser to caretaker government, Abul Barakat, secretary of Bangladesh Economic Association, and Forest Cookson, founder president of America-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce, appeared in the Third Special Court of Judge Shahed Nuruddin to give testimonies.

Forest Cookson said he knows Mohiuddin since 1989 when he was a secretary. He met him (Alamgir) on different occasions, and he did not seem to be a corrupt person.

Sources said in all six defence witnesses including his brother Prof Borhanuddin Khan Jahangir would give testomoies for the former state minister.

The court has already recorded statements of 37 prosecution witnesses in the case.

Alamgir, a bureaucrat-turned-politician, is facing trial on charges of amassing wealth worth Tk 1.17 crore through illegal means.