Saifur, Nizami, Mujaheed freed on bail
Monday, 17 November 2008
Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Matiur Rahman Nizami, Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujaheed and BNP standing-committee member Saifur Rahman were released Monday from jail on bail in Barapukuria coalmine graft case, reports UNB.
DIG (Prisons) Maj Shamsul Haider Siddiqui said Nizami and Mujahid were freed from Dhaka Central Jail at 5:05pm while former finance minister Saifur from Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) hospital prison cell at about 6pm.
Earlier on November 10, the three former influential ministers of the immediate-past four-party coalition government surrendered to a special court following High Court orders.
Judge AK Roy of the special court had ordered the trio former ministers into jail. Soon after the court orders, Saifur Rahman was taken to the prison cell of BSMMU as he suffers from various health complications.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case on February 26 this year accusing former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and nine of her former cabinet colleagues of causing a loss of Tk 1.59 billion (159 crore) to the state exchequer by awarding contract for operating the Barapukuria coal mine to a Chinese company through "abuse of power".
The principal accused, BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, secured bail from the HC in this and three other graft cases and recently came out of jail in a turnaround in the political scenario ahead of the upcoming polls. The High Court also stayed further proceedings against her in this case.
On October 5, the ACC submitted chargesheet against Khaleda, her former cabinet colleagues and five bureaucrats under the ongoing purge.
DIG (Prisons) Maj Shamsul Haider Siddiqui said Nizami and Mujahid were freed from Dhaka Central Jail at 5:05pm while former finance minister Saifur from Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) hospital prison cell at about 6pm.
Earlier on November 10, the three former influential ministers of the immediate-past four-party coalition government surrendered to a special court following High Court orders.
Judge AK Roy of the special court had ordered the trio former ministers into jail. Soon after the court orders, Saifur Rahman was taken to the prison cell of BSMMU as he suffers from various health complications.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case on February 26 this year accusing former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and nine of her former cabinet colleagues of causing a loss of Tk 1.59 billion (159 crore) to the state exchequer by awarding contract for operating the Barapukuria coal mine to a Chinese company through "abuse of power".
The principal accused, BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, secured bail from the HC in this and three other graft cases and recently came out of jail in a turnaround in the political scenario ahead of the upcoming polls. The High Court also stayed further proceedings against her in this case.
On October 5, the ACC submitted chargesheet against Khaleda, her former cabinet colleagues and five bureaucrats under the ongoing purge.