The High Court on Tuesday ordered Khulna-4 constituency MP and vice president of Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF), Abdus Salam Murshedy, to hand over the house he has been staying in Gulshan in the capital city to the Housing and Public Works Ministry.
The HC bench of justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and justice Kazi Ebadoth Hossain passed the order. The court asked Murshedy to complete the process within three months after receiving the copy of the verdict.
The court also said that the house in Gulshan is an abandoned property of the government.
Senior advocate Mohammad Syed Ahmed represented Murshedy while senior advocate Khurshid Alam Khan stood for the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and deputy attorney general Saifuddin Khaled represented the state. Advocate Anik R Haque represented the petitioner.
Murshedy’s lawyer Syed Ahmed said they will file an appeal petition challenging the verdict.
On 30 October, 2022, Barrister Sayedul Haque Sumon filed a writ petition with the High Court seeking an inquiry into the allegations of corruption against the BFF official.
According to the writ petition, the house located in Gulshan-2 was listed as the abandoned house under the gazette in 1986. But Murshedy is living there after occupying it.
Three letters of the Housing and Public Works Ministry to the chairman of RAJUK, public agency responsible for coordinating urban development in Dhaka, issued on 13 April, 2015, 20 January, 2016 and 4 July, 2022 were attached to the writ petition.
The ministry sought explanation from RAJUK chairman over the occupation of the house by Murshedy .
On 1 November, 2022, the HC issued a rule asking the government to explain as to why the inaction of the relevant authorities in taking legal steps against the AL lawmaker for occupying the house illegally, should not be declared beyond legal authority.
It also asked the authorities concerned to submit all documents regarding the house to the court.
On 8 February this year, the ACC in its investigation found the allegations of forgery and fraud over the house true and on the basis of information of witnesses and documents, the ACC filed a case against five people, including Salam Murshedy.