A Dhaka court has acquitted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of corruption charges in the construction of Bangabandhu Novo Theatre.
Late finance minister Shah AMS Kibria, late education minister AHSK Sadeque, Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed, Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury and MP Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir were also exonerated on Thursday.
Anti Corruption Commission’s (ACC) Deputy Director Manjur Morshed submitted the final report on the cases, saying he did not find evidence to back the charges up.
Dhaka Senior Special Judge’s Court acting judge Imrul Kayes received the report and issued the acquittal order.
The other accused cleared in the cases are former army chief and MP Mohammad Noor Uddin, former secretary Maruf Morshed, Public Works Department former chief engineers AKM Mukitur Rahman and Iskandar Hayat, former additional chief engineer AKM Manharurul Islam and former executive engineer Azizul Haque Khan.
Now defunct the Bureau of Anti Corruption filed three cases in March 2002 against the then opposition leader Hasina over alleged grafts during her 1996-2001 term as the head of government.
The ACC later took over the cases.
The court’s clerk Iftekher Hossain said seven were accused in one case, eight in another and 12 in the third one.
The cases were filed over three decisions taken by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) that increased fees of the project consultant, revised up expenses of the construction and pushed salaries of the officials.
On Aug 24, 2005, the commission ordered submission of chargesheet in the cases.
Hasina filed two writ petitions in the High Court challenging the legality of the cases.
The High Court declared illegal the order on filing the chargesheet.
The charges were pressed with ill intentions, the court observed.
Hasina’s Awami League said the cases were filed during the tenure of BNP-led government only to harass her.
The BNP slated the ACC for giving ‘impunity’ to Awami League leaders. – bdnews24.com
