Mahmudur jailed for not showing wealth

A Dhaka court today sentenced Bangla daily Aamr Desh acting editor Mahmudur Rahman to three years in jail for not submitting his wealth statement.

In addition, Judge Abu Ahmed Jamadar of special judges’ court-3 also awarded him Tk one lakh fine – with one more month’s jail in default.

On April 28 last year, charges were framed against Mahmudur in a case filed for not submitting his wealth statement within a given period.

Mahmudur’s newspaper Amar Desh was shut down in 2013.

On July 15 of 2010, Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Deputy Director Nur Ahmad, also investigation officer of the case, submitted the charge sheet to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court, Dhaka.

The ACC on June 13 the same year filed the case with Gulshan Police Station against Mahmudur, also the former Board of Investment chairman.

In the case statement, Mahmudur was accused of committing punishable offence by defying ACC's order, which served a notice on April 19 of 2010 to the former energy adviser asking for wealth statement.

Mahmudur was first arrested on June 2 of 2010 in a case filed on charge of preventing police from discharging their duties.

Later he was sentenced to six months' simple imprisonment for a contempt of court proceeding.

He was arrested for the second time on April 11 in 2013 in a sedition case filed for running an online conversation between Justice Md Nizamul Huq, former chairman of International Crimes Tribunal-1, and expatriate Bangladeshi legal expert Ahmed Ziauddin.