Vital documents eaten up by termites

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Important documents of the barge-mounted power plant graft case against former premier Sheikh Hasina and seven others have been found eaten up by termites.

While cross-examining a prosecution witness at the Special Court-1 on the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban premises yesterday, Hasina’s counsels revealed that parts of several pages of the tender file of Wartsila Power Development Ltd Consortium has been destroyed by termites.

The defence produced the file before the court and the court recorded the matter.

The defence yesterday cross-examined two prosecution witnesses–Sub-Inspector and recording officer of the case AK Anwarul Islam and Additional Director of Power Development Board (PDB) Abdul Halim.

Following a time petition by the defence, Judge Firoz Alam adjourned the hearing on the deposition of prosecution witnesses until June 3.

Former prime minister and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina was brought to the court at 10:00am. Former energy secretary Tawfique-e-Elahi Chowdhury was also produced before the court.

The defence started cross-examining third prosecution witness Abdul Halim around 11:00am after he submitted his deposition to the court.

Defence lawyer Advocate Syed Rezaur Rahman asked Halim how many tender files he had in his custody. Rezaur said, “I do not know.”

The defence asked him who was the PDB chairman when he confiscated the documents and Halim said it was Khizir Khan.

When the defence told Halim that Khizir Khan did not give permission for confiscating the documents, he said it is not true.

Lawyer Rezaur asked him if he could produce the letter of permission before the court. Halim said he cannot because it was at his office.

As the defence asked Halim if he knows how many of the files he had produced before the court were eaten up by termites, he said he cannot recall.

The defence asked him if he knew that a file of Wartsila was attacked by termites. Halim said again that he cannot recall.

Advocate Rezaur then showed Halim the file and later submitted it to the judge.

Taking a look at the damaged document, Judge Firoz asked Halim if they use any medicine to preserve the documents but Halim did not say anything. The judge recorded the matter.

Public prosecutors argued that only a tiny part of the cover page of the tender file was destroyed by termites.

Rezaur told Halim that the file was destroyed in his custody, but Halim said, “It is not true.”

Later, the defence lawyers told reporters that several pages of the 10-year-old document on the bidding by Wartsila were destroyed by termites which will affect the defence.

“Is the destruction of the documents deliberate or caused by negligence?” Rezaur said while talking to reporters.

The public prosecutors, however, said a document’s being eaten up by termites is nothing unnatural and only a tiny part of the file’s cover page was destroyed.

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