The High Court today cleared the way for the lower court concerned to resume trial proceedings against former BNP minister Mirza Abbas in a corruption case filed on charge of fraudulently allotting an industrial plot.

The bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Amir Hossain also ordered the lower court to finish the trial proceedings of the case in the next one year.

The court rejected a petition filed by Abbas seeking cancellation of the trial proceedings of the case against him and lifted its 2008 order that stayed the proceedings.

The HC bench delivered the verdict on the ground that the trial proceedings of a case cannot be scrapped if the trial court starts recording deposition of witnesses as per the Appellate Division directive and elements of offences were disclosed, Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan told The Daily Star.  

He said the Special Judge's Court-4 of Dhaka has recorded three prosecution witnesses of the case.

The ACC filed the case with Shahbagh Police Station on July 15, 2007 against former housing and public works minister Mirza Abbas, former BNP lawmaker Ali Asgar Lobi and Mahfuzul Islam, a government official.

In the case statement, the trio was accused of illegally allotting an industrial plot in collusion with each other in Tejgaon Industrial Area for a business organisation, Pacific Chemicals Ltd, owned by Lobi in 2006. It was mentioned that the accused exercised their influence in allotting the 19.44 katha plot ignoring government rules.

Without having no-objection certificates from the Board of Investment and the Department of Environment, the plot was allotted as an industrial plot.

The ACC in February 2008 submitted charge sheet to the lower court against them in the case.

Following the petition, the HC stayed the proceedings of the case against Abbas.

Abbas and Lobi are now bail in this case, while Mahfuzul is absconding, the ACC lawyer added.

The High Court yesterday cleared the way for a lower court to continue the trial of a corruption case filed against BNP leader Mirza Abbas.

The HC bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice KM Hafizul Alam, after hearing, passed an order rejecting a petition filed by Mirza Abbas for scrapping the case proceedings.

Following the HC order there is no legal bar on the court to continue the trial proceedings against Abbas, said Advocate Khurshid Alam Khan, lawyer for the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

Abbas filed a petition with the HC on October 4 for scrapping the trial proceedings of the case.

ACC filed the case with Ramna Police Station on 2007 accusing Abbas of amassing illegal wealth beyond known sources of income and concealing information about his wealth.

The High Court today cleared the way for BNP leader Mirza Abbas and his wife Afroza Abbas to go abroad and return to the country.

The court ordered the government not to create any obstruction while Mirza Abbas and Afroza Abbas, president of Jatiyatabadi Mohila Dal, will leave the country and return home from abroad, their lawyer Advocate Sagir Hossain Leon told The Daily Star.

The HC bench of Justice Tariq ul Hakim and Justice Md Shohrowardi passed the order following a writ petition filed by Afroza seeking its order on the government not to create any obstruction during their departure and return.

Advocate Leon said Mirza Abbas will go to Singapore on April 10 for treatment and they will come back home after receiving treatment.

Following the same petition, the HC on March 3 this year had ordered the government not to create any obstruction while Afroza will leave the country and return home from abroad.

Afroza had filed the petition with the HC challenging the legality of the immigration officers’ action to bar her on March 2 from boarding a plane at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka.

On that day, she was leaving the country for Malaysia to visit her relatives.

The same day, the HC also issued a rule asking the government to explain why the immigration officers’ action to bar Afroza from going abroad should not be declared illegal, Advocate Leon added.

Advocate Zainul Abedin appeared for the writ petitioner, while Deputy Attorney General Amatul Karim Swapna represented the state.

In today’s episode of ‘The Election Talks 2018’, noted economist Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman, a former adviser to a caretaker government, talks with The Daily Star about the election to be held tomorrow.

Dr Zillur Rahman said, "Although hope was created due to the participation of all the political parties, but we stumbled when the campaigning began."

The attacks carried out reportedly on behalf of the ruling party were more in number, he said.

Capturing the field became more important than securing people's vote during the electioneering, he added.

Watch the video to know more!