HC issues rule on bail for staff arrested over PMO document forgery

The High Court on Tuesday issued a rule seeking explanation as to why Fatema Khatun, a staff suspended in a case filed on allegation of her involvement with document forgery in the Prime Minister’s Office, should not get bail.

The bench of justice M Enayetur Rahim and justice Sardar Md Rashed Jahangir issued the rule during a hearing on the defendant’s bail petition.

Advocate Momatajuddin Ahmed represented the defendant during the hearing.

Defendant’s advocate prayed for bail mentioning Fatema Khatun’s health condition worsening after staying a year in jail.

The High Court disagreed to grant bail to Fatema for bringing disrepute to PMO’s image and rather agreed to issue a rule.

On 5 May, 2020, PM office director-7 Md. Rafiqul Alam filed a case against three individuals.

Later, police submitted charge sheet of the case accusing six people including Fatema Khatun and Bangladesh Chhatra League central committee leader Tariqul Islam.

Other accused in the case are Nazim Uddin, Rubel, Farhad Hossain, a student of North South University, and former treasurer of Bangladesh University of Professionals retired air commodore M Abdus Salam Azad.

The accused were working to have Abdus Salam Azad appointed to the post of treasurer of North South University.

According to the charge sheet, the names of the chairman of history department of NSU professor M Enamul Haque, professor of architecture department at BUET Md Abdur Rauf, and M Abdus Salam Azad were put forward in an education ministry document, from which one was to be chosen for the post of NSU treasurer by the prime minister.

Working as the office assistant at PMO, Fatema got the document in hand after the PM made her choice and reportedly disclosed the confidential information to BCL leader Tariqul that Abdus Salam had not been chosen.

On 1 March, the same year Fatema handed over the document to accused Farhad for Tk 20,000.

Later, the accused tampered with the document to showing M Abdus Salam Azad approved for the post, and had it sent to the president’s office from the PMO for final approval, said the charge sheet.