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Download PDF A special court yesterday sentenced Jatiya Party (JP-Manju) Chairman Anwar Hossain Manju to seven years’ rigorous imprisonment (RI) in a bribery case.
Besides, another special court gave Rajib Siraj Opu, son of former BNP lawmaker Shahjahan Siraj, five years’ RI in a graft case the same day.
Judge Khandaker Kamal Uz-Zaman of the Special Court-9 on the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban premises also handed down two year’s simple imprisonment to Manju’s wife Tasmima Hossain and his cousin Mahmood Hossain for aiding and abetting Manju in taking the bribe.
The court also fined the JP leader Tk 75 lakh. Also a former communications minister, Manju will have to serve one more year behind bars if he failed to pay the fine.
Tasmima and Mahmood were also fined Tk 5 lakh each, in default of which they would have to spend six months more in prison.
As all the three are absconding and were tried in absentia, their sentences will come into effect the day of their arrest or surrender.
Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Assistant Director Sheikh Faiaz Alam filed the case with Shahbagh Police Station on July 25 last year accusing Manju of taking Tk 75 lakh in bribe from China National Overseas Engineering Corporation to get them work of constructing a road stretching 27 kilometres from Mollaghat to Town-Noapara in Bagerhat, public prosecutor Harun Ur Rashid said. At that time, Manju was the communications minister, he added.
Earlier, Manju was given a five-year jail sentence and fined Tk 10,000 on June 26 last year for possessing 21 bottles of alcohol at his Dhanmondi house. He was also sentenced to seven years jail in another extortion case.
Meanwhile, Judge Ashraf Hossain of Special Court-5 delivered the judgment against Rajib Siraj and fined him Tk 8.78 lakh, defaulting on which will earn him one more year in jail.
The court also ordered the authorities concerned to confiscate his wealth worth of over Tk 8 crore which he amassed illegally and tried to legalise the amount through investment.
On November 20 last year, ACC Assistant Director Khairul Huda filed the case with Gulshan Police Station accusing him of trying to legalise his illegal money by investing it in One Denim Milk Ltd Company during the period of July 20, 2006 to January 29 last year through 38 vouchers.
Since he is on the run, his sentence will come into effect from the day of his arrest or surrender.
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