Azam Chy to drop case against Hasina
Monday, 15 December 2008
Business tycoon Azam J Chowdhury Sunday prayed for withdrawing his Tk 30 million extortion case against Awami League (AL) chief Sheikh Hasina, report UNB/ bdnews24.com.
Prime Bank chairman Azam Jahangir Chowdhury applied to the home adviser Sunday to withdraw the case in court through an executive order. He said it was filed on a "misunderstanding" and was "unexpected and undesired" on his part.
"I was compelled to file the case on June 13, 2007 due to changed circumstances" Chowdhury told journalists at a press briefing at his Gulshan office after submitting the application.
Chowdhury, also managing director of the East Coast Trading Limited, said he had not directly sued anyone.
Explaining reasons for withdrawal of his case against Hasina, Azam said he took the decision to protect the democratic and basic rights of a person.
He said he had filed a case only against Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, her cousin, for extorting money from him in return for a promised deal on Siddhirganj power plant in Narayanganj.
"I did not file any case directly. I did not even disclose any name. A misunderstanding was created that will end after retraction of the case."
On whether he was withdrawing the case in the face of any pressure, Chowdhury said: "I had said six months earlier that I did not file the case against Sheikh Hasina. I claimed so as I had the courage."
Chowdhury also said Sheikh Selim had received money from his company as a consultant of a Russian company . The transaction was done through banks, he said, adding: "Sheikh Selim had the right to pursue business as a politician."
Asked what he would do if Hasina sued him on charge of defamation, Chowdhury said he believed the former prime minister would understand his position.
In his letter addressed to the home adviser, Chowdhury said: "A case was filed against Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim and the honourable former prime minister Sheikh Hasina with Gulshan Police Station due to a misunderstanding on June 13, 2007."
"The case is currently on trial. I don't wish to be plaintiff in the case any longer."
"Filing the case was unexpected and undesired on my part," he said.
"Under the circumstances, I urge the government to make arrangements to withdraw the case in the court by an executive order," Chowdhury appealed.
On Jan 24 this year, he claimed in a press conference that he had not accused the former prime minister in the case involving charges of extortion and his allegation was only against Hasina's cousin Selim.
"Sheikh Hasina is the daughter of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and I cannot even think of suing her," he had said.
On Jan 30, he said that he was acquainted only with Sheikh Selim as an accused in the case. "I do not know anyone else," said the businessman.
Hasina, her sister Sheikh Rehana and their cousin Selim, a former health minister, have all been charged in the case.
Chowdhury has said he filed the case only against Selim, while Hasina and Rehana were implicated in it later by the investigating officer of the case.
Hasina was arrested and detained on July 16, 2007, and subsequently shown arrested in the case. Selim was arrested before the former prime minister.
A charge sheet, produced before the court on July 24, 2007, named Rehana as co-accused. Residing in the UK, she was shown as fugitive in the case.
The High Court later halted trial proceedings on a writ petition filed by the AL president, challenging the legality of the case and its trial. The final verdict is still pending.
Awami League spokesman Syed Ashraful Islam recently said the cases against Hasina had been filed by using coercion.
Prime Bank chairman Azam Jahangir Chowdhury applied to the home adviser Sunday to withdraw the case in court through an executive order. He said it was filed on a "misunderstanding" and was "unexpected and undesired" on his part.
"I was compelled to file the case on June 13, 2007 due to changed circumstances" Chowdhury told journalists at a press briefing at his Gulshan office after submitting the application.
Chowdhury, also managing director of the East Coast Trading Limited, said he had not directly sued anyone.
Explaining reasons for withdrawal of his case against Hasina, Azam said he took the decision to protect the democratic and basic rights of a person.
He said he had filed a case only against Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, her cousin, for extorting money from him in return for a promised deal on Siddhirganj power plant in Narayanganj.
"I did not file any case directly. I did not even disclose any name. A misunderstanding was created that will end after retraction of the case."
On whether he was withdrawing the case in the face of any pressure, Chowdhury said: "I had said six months earlier that I did not file the case against Sheikh Hasina. I claimed so as I had the courage."
Chowdhury also said Sheikh Selim had received money from his company as a consultant of a Russian company . The transaction was done through banks, he said, adding: "Sheikh Selim had the right to pursue business as a politician."
Asked what he would do if Hasina sued him on charge of defamation, Chowdhury said he believed the former prime minister would understand his position.
In his letter addressed to the home adviser, Chowdhury said: "A case was filed against Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim and the honourable former prime minister Sheikh Hasina with Gulshan Police Station due to a misunderstanding on June 13, 2007."
"The case is currently on trial. I don't wish to be plaintiff in the case any longer."
"Filing the case was unexpected and undesired on my part," he said.
"Under the circumstances, I urge the government to make arrangements to withdraw the case in the court by an executive order," Chowdhury appealed.
On Jan 24 this year, he claimed in a press conference that he had not accused the former prime minister in the case involving charges of extortion and his allegation was only against Hasina's cousin Selim.
"Sheikh Hasina is the daughter of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and I cannot even think of suing her," he had said.
On Jan 30, he said that he was acquainted only with Sheikh Selim as an accused in the case. "I do not know anyone else," said the businessman.
Hasina, her sister Sheikh Rehana and their cousin Selim, a former health minister, have all been charged in the case.
Chowdhury has said he filed the case only against Selim, while Hasina and Rehana were implicated in it later by the investigating officer of the case.
Hasina was arrested and detained on July 16, 2007, and subsequently shown arrested in the case. Selim was arrested before the former prime minister.
A charge sheet, produced before the court on July 24, 2007, named Rehana as co-accused. Residing in the UK, she was shown as fugitive in the case.
The High Court later halted trial proceedings on a writ petition filed by the AL president, challenging the legality of the case and its trial. The final verdict is still pending.
Awami League spokesman Syed Ashraful Islam recently said the cases against Hasina had been filed by using coercion.