Khandaker Enamul Basir, an Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) official who was suspended after being convicted in a graft case, has secured bail from the High Court.
The bench of justice Md Ashraful Kamal passed the bail-order on Tuesday.
A trial court awarded him an eight-year imprisonment on 23 February and also slapped a fine of Tk 8 million. In the same case, the court sentenced deputy inspector general of police Mijanur Rahman to three-year imprisonment.
Basir filed an appeal petition against the verdict and the High Court accepted the appeal for hearing on 13 April. Besides, the court withheld the fine and sought documents in this regard.
Later, he filed another petition seeking bail in the case. The court heard the petition and passed the bail order on Tuesday. Lawyer Faruk Alamgir Chowdhury argued for the suspended ACC official while Khurshid Alam Khan and Chowdhury Nasima represented the ACC.
Lawyer Alamgir Chowdhury said there is no legal restriction in releasing Basir as no more cases are pending against him.
He told Prothom Alo that Basir was sentenced five and three years in jail under two separate sections.
The court said the two sentences will be effective at the same time, which implies that he has to serve five years in jail in total. He already spent nearly four years in jail.
According to the case, Basir misused his power to be benefitted financially. He took a bribe of Tk 4 billion in exchange of providing illegal facility to him.