Bangladesh News

A Dhaka court issued arrest warrant against former army chief Gen (retd) Mustafizur Rahman cancelling his bail as he failed to appear before it in the MiG-29 corruption case yesterday.

Judge Golam Mortoza Majumder of Divisional Special Judge’s Court issued the warrant after rejecting the former army chief’s time petition.

The court fixed May 28 for charge-framing hearing in the case. The six other accused, including detained former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, were present in the court set up at the high-security Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban complex.

Forwarding the time petition, Gen (retd) Mustafiz’s lawyers’ prayed for adjourning the hearing for four weeks as they said their client was seriously ill.

“We prayed for adjournment of the hearing as Mustafizur Rahman is seriously ill. But, the judge rejected our prayer and even cancelled his bail. It is inhumane and against the law,” the ex-army chief’s lawyer Advocate Shahara Khatun told reporters.

Prosecutor Syed Shamim Ahsan Habib, however, said Mustafiz’s lawyers stood in the way of charge-framing hearing by filing time petitions one after another.

“The trial proceedings will now continue as the court has rejected the time petition today …if Mustafizur Rahman is not arrested by May 28, he’ll be treated as a fugitive,” he said.

The five other accused who were present in the court are former air force chief Jamaluddin Ahmed, former defence secretary Syed Yusuf Hossain, Air Commodore (retd) Mirza Akhter Maruf, former joint secretary Mohammad Hossain Serniabat and Nur Ali, managing director of Unique Group.