Bangladesh News

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) will not invoke the provisions of Emergency Power Rules (EPR) while filing cases for offences that took place before its formulation if the Supreme Court directs so.

“The Anti-Corruption Commission believes in ensuring justice and will abide by the order of the court,” ACC Director General (Admin) Col Hanif Iqbal told reporters at a routine press briefing at the ACC headquarters yesterday.

On Wednesday, the High Court (HC) declared bringing of the Tk 2.99 crore extortion case against former prime minister Sheikh Hasina under the EPR illegal and quashed it. The government appealed against the verdict with the Supreme Court, seeking stay on the HC order.

Asked about the commission’s role in dealing with cases brought under the EPR although the offences were committed before the promulgation of the emergency rules, Hanif said, “If the final verdict of the court has any such direction, the commission will bring changes in the process of filing cases.”

The ACC yesterday also decided to issue a notice on former BNP parliamentarian Sardar Shakhawat Hossain Bakul and former adviser to prime minister (Khaleda Zia) Prof Jahanara Begum. Both are on the fourth list of 35 graft suspects published by the commission on October 4 last year.

The commission also approved filing of separate cases against Rajshahi City Corporation Mayor Mizanur Rahman Minu, Sylhet City Corporation Mayor Badar Uddin Ahmed Kamran and former CBA leader Molla Abul Kalam Azad on charges of misappropriating relief items including rice, corrugated sheet iron (CSI) and amassing illegal wealth beyond known sources of income.

Minu and seven others will be charged with misappropriation of CSI and rice meant for relief.

Kamran and his wife Asma Kamran will be charged with accumulating wealth worth Tk 2,16,17,822 illegally beyond their known sources of income.

Azad and his wife Kohinoor Sultana will be charged with amassing illegal wealth worth Tk 17,09,000 and Tk 1,65,23,287 beyond known sources of income. Azad will also be charged with concealing information about Tk 23,92,287 in his wealth statement submitted to the ACC. The commission approved filing of the case under the EPR besides the sections of the ACC Act and the Penal Code.

The anti-graft body also approved pressing charges against former housing and public works minister Mirza Abbas, former lawmaker Mosaddek Ali Falu, former lawmaker Mokbul Hossain, former jute minister Shajahan Siraj, and Bangladesh Medical Association leader Dr AZM Zahid Hossain and some of their family members in five cases filed for abusing power, concealing wealth information and amassing wealth illegally.