Tarique, Babar ‘helped’ bid to cover up murder

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The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) yesterday pressed charges against former prime minister Khaleda Zia’s son Tarique Rahman, former state minister for home Lutfozzaman Babar and six others of receiving and offering bribe over the murder of a Bashundhara Group director.

ACC Deputy Assistant Director Rupak Kumar Saha, who is also the investigation officer (IO) of the case, submitted the charge sheet to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s (CMM) Court in Dhaka, showing 28 people as prosecution witnesses.

On receipt, Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Golam Rabbani sent the case dossier to the Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court for taking the charges into cognisance and begin the trial.

Former BNP lawmaker Qazi Saleemul Huq Kamal, Bashundhara Group Chairman Ahmed Akbar Sobhan alias Shah Alam and his two sons Shafiat Sobhan Sanvir and Sadaat Sobhan, Director of East West Property Development Pvt Ltd Abu Sufian and Tarique’s personal secretary Mia Nur Uddin Apu are the other charge-sheeted accused.

The anti-graft body said the eight were involved in receiving and giving Tk 21-crore bribe to ensure Sanvir did not have to face charges of killing Humayun Kabir Sabbir, a director of Bashundhara Group.

Sabbir was killed at a building in the Bashundhara residential area on July 5, 2006 allegedly in a feud over a woman.

Of those accused, Tarique, also senior joint secretary general of BNP, Babar and Sufian are behind bars while the others are still at large.

Though detained on other charges, the three were later shown arrested in the case.

The IO said the accused should be brought to trial as the charges have been proved primarily.

He appealed the court to issue warrants for the arrest of those on the run and order attachment of their properties.

On October 4 last year, ACC Deputy Assistant Director Abul Kashem filed the case in connection with bribery, accusing six including Babar.

Tarique and Saleemul were included as the defendants after investigation found their involvement.

The ACC approved the charge sheet on April 23. The charges were made under sections 161,165 and 165(kha) of the penal code and 5(2) of Prevention of Corruption Act 1947.

Out of Tk 21-crore bribe offered by Shah Alam, Tarique had received Tk 1 crore, according to the case details.

The rest was paid to Babar who received Tk 6 crore in cash and Tk 14 crore in cheques and pay orders. The then state minister for home had deposited the money in the Prime Bank account of Saleemul Huq. The latter was the chairman of the bank at that time.

Babar received the bribe at different times between August 7 and September 13, 2006.

Saleemul was charged with keeping the ill-gotten money in his account and drawing Tk 88 lakh as interest against the sum.

A little over a month after the killing, Abu Sufian arranged meetings between Babar, Tarique and Shah Alam at Babar’s official residence on Bailey Road on August 7 and 8 in 2006.

At first, Babar had demanded Tk 100 crore to spare the Bashundhara Group chairman’s son from murder charges. After negotiations, the amount was fixed at Tk 50 crore.

A few days later, Shah Alam sent Tk 1 crore to Tarique via Apu. Payment of the remaining Tk 20 crore was done through Sufian.

Further transaction was stopped with the changeover of government in October.

Sources said after the present caretaker government launched the anti-graft drive, Saleemul had tried to save his skin by surrendering the money to the national exchequer.

Tarique was arrested on March 7 last year. He was shown arrested in nine cases for extortion, one for cheating and another for graft.

Apart from yesterday’s, police have so far pressed charges against him in an extortion case and a case for amassing wealth illegally and concealing information to the ACC.

Babar was arrested on May 29 last year in an arms case and was later convicted of possessing illegal firearms and ammunition. He too was shown arrested in a case filed for making a fortune through illegal means.

NIKO CASE
The Niko graft case against detained former prime minister Khaleda Zia, former law minister Moudud Ahmed and nine others might be sent today to the Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court in Dhaka for trial.

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