Bangladesh News

A special court yesterday sentenced Awami League (AL) Presidium Member Kazi Zafarullah to two years’ simple imprisonment for not submitting wealth statement to the Anti-corruption Commission (ACC) in due time.

Judge M Ashraf Hossain of Special Court-5 set up on the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban premises pronounced the verdict.

Since the AL leader is on the run, the sentence will be effective from the day of his surrender or arrest.

ACC Assistant Director Ashraful Islam filed the case against Zafarullah with Gulshan Police Station on March 19 this year for not submitting wealth statement to the ACC.

The commission served a notice on the AL leader on January 24 this year asking him to submit his wealth statement to it.

Meanwhile, another special court dealing with the Gatco corruption case against detained BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and 23 others set August 5 for submitting the certified copy of the High Court (HC) stay order.

Judge Shahed Noor Uddin of Special Court-3, set up on the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban premises, fixed the new date as both the prosecution and defence lawyers failed to submit the papers to the court yesterday.

On July 20, the court set yesterday for submitting it but both the sides told the court that they were yet to get the certified copy of the HC stay order. The judge fixed August 5 for submitting the papers after hearing both the sides.

Former premier Khaleda Zia was not produced before the court yesterday.

However, other accused including former agriculture minister MK Anwar and former industries minister Motiur Rahman Nizami, who were released on bail by the HC, were present at the court.

The ACC filed the case with Tejgaon Police Station against 24 people including Khaleda and her son Koko on September 2 last year on charges of corruption in awarding Gatco a contract for container handling at depots in Dhaka and Chittagong.