Bangladesh News

The High Court (HC) yesterday granted anticipatory bail for six months to former finance minister M Saifur Rahman in Gatco corruption case filed by the Anti-corruption Commission (ACC).

After hearing separate petitions, the HC bench comprising Justice Sharif Uddin Chaklader and Justice Md Emdadul Haque Azad also granted anticipatory bail to former BNP lawmakers Shahidul Islam Master, Abul Khair Bhuiyan, and Habibul Islam Habib, and to Laila Arjumand Banu, wife of Khulna City Corporation Mayor Sheikh Tayebur Rahman, until submissions of police reports in separate criminal cases against them.

Detained president of BNP student wing Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, Azizul Bari Helal, was also granted ad-interim bail in a case filed against him on charges of violating Emergency Power Rules (EPR).

The HC bench also issued separate rules upon the government ordering it to explain why the petitioners should not be granted regular bail.

Meanwhile, Chamber Judge of the Appellate Division of Supreme Court Justice MA Matin yesterday sent ACC petitions against recent HC orders granting bail to former LGRD minister Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, former land affairs minister M Shamsul Islam, former housing and public works minister Engineer Mosharraf Hossain, and Former state minister for labour and employment Amanullah Aman in separate corruption cases, to a full bench for hearing on August 12.

The ACC had filed the petitions seeking overturning of the recent HC orders granting bail to the four politicians.

On July 28 this year, the HC had granted ad-interim bail for two months to Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan and M Shamsul Islam in connection with the Gatco graft case.

Mosharraf Hossain also had 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 the 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.

Aman had also secured ad-interim bail recently from the HC in connection with an extortion case.

Senior BNP leader and former finance minister M Saifur Rahman, who returned home Saturday midnight after a three-month stay abroad, appeared before the HC for bail in the Gatco corruption case yesterday afternoon.

Indicted in the graft case, M Saifur Rahman was brought to the SC premises in an ambulance, and was produced before the HC bench in a wheel chair.

His counsel Advocate Abdur Razaque Khan told the court that Saifur Rahman is a former minister and an octogenarian politician who is very ill.

“He was being treated in Singapore and Malaysia, and after returning home was admitted to Apollo Hospital for treatment following instructions of his physicians. He should be granted bail on grounds of ailment,” Saifur’s counsel argued.

The ACC’s counsel Advocate Anisul Huq told the court that he had no intention to oppose Saifur Rahman’s bail petition, but informed the court that an arrest warrant had been issued against Saifur in the case on May 15 this year.

He also reminded the bench that earlier it had directed Mirza Azam to surrender before a trial court for bail in a graft case since an arrest warrant had been issued against him, and the trail court sent him to jail after rejecting his bail prayer.

The HC bench in reply said Saifur is ailing and the court believes that he will get better treatment outside and will not become a fugitive. Then the court granted Saifur the bail for six months.

Saifur flew to Singapore for ‘treatment’ on May 7, a day before the ACC approved the charge sheet in the Gatco case filed for graft in awarding container handling jobs to Gatco. Detained BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and 11 former ministers including Saifur are among the 24 accused in the case.

Shahidul Islam Master, Abul Khair Bhuiyan, Habibul Islam Habib, and Laila Arjumand Banu also yesterday appeared before the HC for bail in the cases against them. The government filed the cases with different police stations against the first three on charges of extortion, and against Laila for forgery and misappropriation of public money.

The accused, who were granted bail, recently had filed separate petitions for bail in the cases.

Barrister Rafique-ul Huq represented Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan and M Shamsul Islam, Barrister Shafique Ahmed represented Engineer Mosharraf Hossain, and Barrister Mahbubuddin Khokon moved for Aman Ullah Aman, while Advocate Adilur Rahman Khan Shubhro and Advocate Ruhul Amin Bhuiyan assisted Advocate Abdur Razaque Khan in moving the petition for Saifur Rahman.

Barristers Mahbubuddin Khokon, Barrister Nowshad Jamir, and Advocate Sheikh Ali Ahmed represented the other bail petitioners.

Advocate Anisul Huq and Additional Attorney General Mansur Habib represented the ACC and the government.