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Download PDF The High Court (HC) yesterday granted bail to 10 persons including three former ministers and four former lawmakers who had been arrested in the anti-corruption drive of the military backed caretaker government.
The ten, who had been accused in separate corruption cases filed by the Anti-corruption Commission (ACC) and the government, were granted ad-interim and anticipatory bail.
After hearing separate petitions, an HC bench comprising Justice Sharif Uddin Chaklader and Justice Md Emdadul Haque Azad stayed the proceedings of the cases against the accused.
The court also issued separate rules upon the government to explain why the petitioners should not be granted regular bail and why the proceedings against them should not be quashed.
The accused, who were granted bail, are former LGRD minister Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, former land affairs minister M Shamsul Islam, former housing and public works minister Engineer Mosharraf Hossain, former lawmakers Nasiruddin Ahmed Pintu, Mohammad Shahjahan, Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee and Ilias Ali, Tahsina Rushdir, wife of Ilias, Yasir Arshad Rajan, son of former lawmaker Fazlur Rahman Patal, and Ismail Hossain Simon, son of late shipping minister Lt Col (retd) Akbar Hossain.
ACC lawyer Advocate Anisul Huq told reporters that the commission will soon file appeals with the Supreme Court against the HC orders.
Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, M Shamsul Islam, and Ismail Hossain Simon got ad-interim bail for two months in connection with the Gatco graft case. The court also stayed the proceedings against them for two months and issued rules upon the government to explain within two weeks why the proceedings against them should not be quashed.
Their lawyers said there is no legal bar on releasing them from jails, since there is no other case against them.
Barrister Rafique-ul Huq and Barrister Ruhul Quddus Kajal, who appeared for them yesterday, told the court that there is no allegation of corruption against Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, M Shamsul Islam, and Ismail Hossain Simon.
Barrister Rafique-ul Huq said charges were brought against his clients in Gatco graft case with mala fide intentions, but the secretaries to the concerned ministries were not charged.
He also said investigation reports against his clients were submitted 250 days after the case had been filed, instead of within the stipulated 60 days, so the proceedings against his clients cannot go on.
Mosharraf Hossain’s counsel Barrister Shafique Ahmed told reporters that his client got ad-interim bail for two months in two graft cases, one had been filed on charges of amassing illegal wealth and for concealing information from ACC, and the other for allotting plots illegally while he had been in charge of the housing and public works ministry during the regime of the last Awami League government.
“The High Court also stayed the proceedings of the cases against Mosharraf Hossain for two months and issued a rule upon the government to explain within four weeks why he should not be granted regular bail in the cases. He is not arrested in any other case.
If no new case is filed against him, he should be released from jail,” he said.
Barrister Mahbubuddin Khokon assisted by Advocate AHM Mizanur Rahman moved for Ilias Ali and his wife Tahsina Rushdir, Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Anee, Yasir Arshad Rajan and Mohammad Shahjahan.
Barrister Khokon told The Daily Star that his clients yesterday appeared before the HC for anticipatory bail in the cases against them.
“The High Court granted them anticipatory bail till submissions of police reports against them, and also issued separate rules upon the government to explain within four weeks why they should not be granted regular bail,” he said.
Shahiduddin Chowdhury, who had been absconding, was present in the court yesterday and was not arrested after getting the bail. Barrister Khokon said his client is free now since he was not arrested in any other case.
“There is another case against Ilias Ali, in which he is yet to get bail,” Barrister Khokon added.
Nasiruddin Ahmed Pintu got ad-interim bail for two months in the case against him for misappropriating government relief. The court stayed the proceedings against him and also issued a rule upon the government to explain why the proceedings of the case should not be quashed.
Advocate MA Malek moved for Nasiruddin Ahmed Pintu.
Advocate Anisul Huq, Advocate Khurshid Alam Khan, and Advocate Abdul Aziz Khan argued for ACC.
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