Ex-housing secy sued for graft

The Anti-corruption Commission (ACC) Tuesday filed three cases against former Secretary of Housing and Public Works Ministry Dr Khondaker Showkat Hossain on charge of taking government plots abusing official power.
Commission's deputy director Jatan Kumar Roy filed the cases with city's Motijheel police station in the afternoon. The ACC had approved filing of the cases at a meeting on the same day, an ACC official told reporters.  
Earlier, the ACC launched a probe against Dr Hossain, now Secretary to the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment, on charge of taking allotment of three Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) plots violating Rajuk rules.
He took the plots for himself, his wife, and mother between 2000 and 2005 in the city's Purbachal and Uttara projects, said the ACC officials.
As per the rules of Rajuk, a husband and his wife cannot be the owners of its separate plots, but Dr Hossain had taken three plots from government quota in his name and that of his wife, Dr Aysha Begum, and mother.
The case details said according to the allegation received by the anti-graft body, the Secretary had been allocated a 5-katha plot in the city's Uttara Sector No 10. He bought another 5-katha plot in Uttara Third Phase project in his mother's name. Later, changing the plot, he took a new one on Goribea Newaz Avenue of Uttara Sector No 11, by putting pressure on Rajuk.
Dr Aysha Begum took a 7.5-katha plot at Purbachal New City Project in 2005, and after taking charge of the Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry as Secretary, Dr Hossain turned the plot into a 10 katha one. Later, he even extended it to a 12.5-katha plot abusing his power.