Bangladesh News

Awami League president Sheikh Hasina yesterday filed a writ petition with the High Court (HC) challenging the legality of MiG-29 corruption case against her.

Barrister Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh filed the petition with the HC bench of Justice Khademul Islam Chowdhury and Justice Mashuque Hosain Ahmed.

Sheikh Hasina also a former prime minister petitioned the court for quashing the proceedings of the case.

Her counsel Barrister Shafique Ahmed said the case was filed with mala fide intentions to politically harass his client.

“Sheikh Hasina was not involved in any corruption. When she was the prime minister she gave her consent to the decision of purchasing Mig-29 warplanes for the air force of the country following recommendations of committees concerned. The case is false and fabricated and its proceedings should be quashed,” he said.

Hearing on charge framing against Hasina and six others in connection with the case will be held today.

Judge Golam Mortuza Majumder of the Special Judge’s Court of Dhaka Division, adjourned the hearing on July 17 rescheduling it for today.

The six other accused are former air force chief Jamaluddin Ahmed, former army chief Mustafizur Rahman, former defence secretary Syed Yusuf Hossain, Air Commodore (retd) Mirza Akhter Maruf, former joint secretary Mohammad Hossain Serniabat, and Unique Group Managing Director Nur Ali.

According to the case filed with Tejgaon police station, the purchase of eight MiG-29 fighter jets during the tenure of last Awami League government caused Tk 700 crore loss to the public exchequer.

The names of Brig Gen (retd) Iftekhar-Ul-Bashar and former deputy secretary Hasan Mahmood Delwar were dropped from the case due to poor evidence regarding their culpability while former army chief Mustafizur Rahman, Air Commodore (retd) Mirza Akhter Maruf, former joint secretary Hossain Serniabat, and businessman Nur Ali were implicated after investigators had found their involvement in the alleged scam.

On December 11, 2001 Inspector Abdullah Al Zahid of now-defunct Bureau of Anti-corruption submitted a charge sheet to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court of Dhaka, showing 40 persons as prosecution witnesses.