Trial of 4 more BNP leaders nears final stage

Trial proceedings against four BNP leaders -- standing committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain and Mirza Abbas, vice chairman Abdullah Al Noman and party chairperson’s adviser AKM Mosharraf Hossain -- are set to enter the final stage.

The proceedings are being conducted in four special judge courts of Dhaka.

All the four courts are now recording the cross-examination of the investigation officers.

After prosecution’s closing argument, the defence will complete their arguments and then the courts will fix the date of delivering the verdicts.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed a case against Mirza Abbas during the regime of military-backed caretaker government in 2007. The remaining cases against the three BNP leaders were lodged by the anti-graft watchdog during the ruling Awami League tenures.

Bangladesh Nationalist Party leader Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain told Prothom Alo that he had been framed intentionally in a false case.

After jailing BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, the ruling party is stepping up the trial proceedings against other BNP leaders so that they stay away from taking part in the upcoming general election, he added.

On 8 February, the fifth special court of judge Md Akhteruzzaman handed down the verdict in the Zia Orphanage Trust case, convicting and thus sentencing former prime minister Khaleda Zia to five years in jail. Shortly after the pronouncement of the verdict, Khaleda landed in the abandoned central jail building at Nazimuddin Road in the capital.

The ACC filed a money laundering case against Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain on 6 February, 2014. The charges said that he had illegally transferred Tk 95 million in a bank in London. Dhaka special judge court has so far recorded deposition of eight witnesses.

The BNP leader’s lawyer Borhan Uddin told Prothom Alo Khandaker Mosharraf during his stay in London with his wife from 1969 to 1975 invested money in UK stock market but he never laundered money.

The ACC filed a case against Mirza Abbas for amassing wealth worth over Tk 75 million beyond known sources of income on 16 August, 2007. The court completed recording of 22 witnesses except the deposition of the investigation officer, said ACC’s lawyer Mir Ahmed Ali.

Lawyer of Mirza Abbas, Abdur Rezak Khan, told Prothom Alo that the High Court recently cleared the way for trial of Mirza Abbas case that was filed during the military-backed caretaker government.

Like Mirza Abbas, former livestock and fisheries minister Abdullah Al Noman is facing trial proceedings in a case filed for amassing wealth beyond known sources of income in 1998.

Noman’s lawyer Borhan Uddin said the case was filed to harass the BNP leader politically.

The ACC filed a case against former state minister for energy AKM Mosharraf Hossain on charges of taking a car worth nearly $9.5 million and $5000 from Niko Resources in 2012. The court completed recording deposition of 23 witnesses so far.

ACC lawyer Mir Ahmed Ali told Prothom Alo that the cases were filed based on specific allegations. The lawyer is hopeful of proving all the allegations and said that the trial proceedings may be completed in three to four months.

*The article originally published in Prothom Alo print edition has been rewritten in English by Imam Hossain.