Trackback URL
Download PDF A Dhaka court yesterday sent Ashraf Hossain, a Saifur-led BNP leader, to jail after he surrendered in a case filed for illegal sale of a duty-free car within three years of import under special privileges for lawmakers.
His detention is the first for any of the pro-reform stalwarts. It came as a further blow to the faction as only a few days ago the High Court (HC) had stayed operation of the Election Commission’s (EC) invitation for them to join the electoral talks, said sources close to the Saifur-Hafiz group.
Earlier in September, he along with Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan was expelled from the party by Chairperson Khaleda Zia.
Ashraf, former whip and expelled joint secretary general of the immediate past ruling party, went to the Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court, Dhaka at 10:30am and was sent to jail after a hearing at around 12:30pm.
Following the latest developments at courts, the pro-reform camp seems worried about the fate of other senior leaders including M Saifur Rahman and expelled secretary general Mannan Bhuiyan as the two were in the cabinet purchase committee that had approved a controversial contract for container handling contract in favour of Gatco.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) is preparing to submit charge sheet in the Gatco scam case. A number of senior lawyers working for the anti-graft body have already suggested including the then purchase committee members in the charge sheet.
The ACC on September 2 filed a case against former premier Khaleda Zia, her younger son Arafat Rahman Koko and 11 others for corruption in awarding the contract.
Besides, City Mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka, another pro-reform leader and president of Dhaka city BNP, has lately been listed as a graft suspect by the ACC and served a notice to turn in wealth statement.
A standing committee member of BNP yesterday told The Daily Star, “We don’t know what is going to happen. We are trying to think things out and overcome the crisis.”
The BNP standing committee in a dramatic move on October 29 appointed Saifur Rahman as acting chairman and Hafiz Uddin Ahmed as acting secretary general. But the pro-Khaleda faction outright rejected the decisions.
The two factions had vied acrimoniously for the EC’s invitation to the electoral dialogue that they thought would amount to recognition as the mainstream BNP.
Against this backdrop, the commission on November 5 invited Saifur-led faction to the talks. But in response to Khaleda Zia’s writ petition against the EC’s decision, the HC on November 18 stayed operation of the invitation letter for four weeks, much to the frustration of Saifur-Hafiz group.
The following day Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) ATM Shamsul Huda announced the dialogue would not be held on schedule and the EC would wait for the issue to be disposed of at the court.
CHARGES AGAINST ASHRAF
Dhanmondi police seized the car from a house in the city’s Kalabagan area on June 13. The same day Sub-Inspector Abdul Hye filed the case against former whip Ashraf, Harris Chowdhury, Orion Group Chairman Obaidul Karim, Harris’ relative and driver Abul Salam and Masum Ahmed for illegal selling and buying of the duty-free car. Later, ACC took over the case for investigation and pressed charges against the five in November.
The IO in the charge sheet prayed for the Dhaka metropolitan magistrate to issue arrest warrants against the accused and order attachment of their property.
Obaidul Karim bought Ashraf’s car and gave it to Harris Chowdhury, the then political secretary to ex-premier Khaleda Zia, as bribe to win his firm the work order for Gulistan-Jatrabari flyover. A case has been registered with Dhanmondi Police Station in this connection.
Comments are not moderated and only expresses personal views of visitors. BangladeshNews.com.bd is not responsible for commets posted by visitors.
Leave a Reply