A four-member delegation of pro-BNP lawyers led by Barrister Moudud Ahmed went to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) today to meet party Chairperson Khaleda Zia.

Khaleda was shifted to the BSMMU from Dhaka's Old Central Jail for treatment yesterday, in line with a High Court order.

The delegation members –- Moudud, Advocate AJ Mohammad Ali, Advocate Zainul Abedin and Barrister Kaiser Kamal –- reached the hospital around noon, BNP chairperson's media wing member Syrul Kabir Khan, told The Daily Star.

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Khaleda taken to BSMMU

The BNP delegation has already talked to hospital’s Director Brig Gen Abdullah Al Harun in this regard and was waiting for the permission, said Syrul Kabir said around 12:05pm.

Quoting the HC order, Moudud said Khaleda Zia can choose any physician for her treatment and the board should not contain any doctors from the Swadhinata Chikitsak Parishad.

“We observe that the directive of the court is not reflected in this regard. Now, we will wait and see if she (Khaleda) is satisfied with the doctors or not,” he said.

Replying to a querry, Moudud said they did not go to the hospital to meet Khaleda Zia and they were there to talk to the hospital director over Khaleda’s treatment.

Khaleda was shifted to the BSMMU from Dhaka's Old Central Jail for treatment yesterday, in line with a High Court order. The BSMMU authorities have already formed a five-member medical board to assess her health condition.

Khaleda, 73, has been suffering from problems in the knees and other ailments for long, according to government doctors who treated her since she landed in jail on February 8 in a corruption case.

Claiming that the government has lost control over the ruling party leaders and activists, BNP senior leader Moudud Ahmed on Friday alleged that influential Awami League leaders and ministers are helping the corrupt from behind the scene.

"Now, every sector has collapsed as there's no representative government in the country. Now, the government can't control its own people who are indulging in widespread corruption," he told a human-chain programme.

The BNP leader further said, "What happened over the last two weeks have exposed that the government has no more control over its party leaders and activists. Apart from Shamim, Khaled and Samrat, there're hundreds of ruling party leaders who are involved in extortion, casino operation and gambling. Nothing will happen to them due to the influence of the MPs and ministers as they're involved with them from behind the scene."

Agriculturist Association of Bangladesh arranged the programme in front of the Jatiya Press Club demanding the release of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia from jail.

Moudud, a BNP standing committee member, said newspapers are now publishing corruption-related stories of the ruling party leaders with good treatment. "After a few days, you'll see these incidents are covered up. This government won't be able to eliminate corruption from its own party people."

He said the current government has no accountability to people as the 11th parliamentary election was not 'lawful 'one.

The BNP leader said not only the ruling party leaders are indulging in corruption, but also the VCs of different public universities are there. "The VCs of 11 public universities are now accused of corruption. The effigies of three of them have been burnt. A VC is a revered person, but they're also now indulging in corruption. Corruption has also spread everywhere in the judiciary."

He urged the government to step down and hold a fair and credible election to establish a representative administration through people's vote. "Only then, the prevailing anarchy, extortion, gambling and casino culture will get removed from the country."

The BNP leader said the restoration of democracy is now necessary to restore the government's control over the state machinery. "Khaleda Zia must be freed first to bring back democracy in the country."

He claimed that Khaleda has been kept in jail for the 17 months in 'false cases' in which she was supposed to get bail. "Courts are unable to work independently due to the government's political influence. That's why Khaleda Zia is still in jail."

Moudud also said it will not be possible to free Khaleda through the legal process. "We've put in our best efforts, but didn't get any good results as the government has kept all the courts under its influence. So, the street movement is the only option to free her."

He called upon the people of all walks of life and the democratic politic forces to get united to ensure the fall of the current government and 'restore' democracy in the country.

 

 

A Dhaka court today framed charges against former BNP law minister Barrister Moudud Ahmed in a corruption case filed during the regime of military-backed caretaker government.

Judge KM Imrul Kayes of the Special Judge Court-6 of Dhaka also fixed July 26 for recording statements of the witnesses of the case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission.

At the same time, the court rejected an application filed by Moudud Ahmed, who was recently evicted from his Gulshan residence following a Supreme Court order, expressing no-confidence in Judge Imrul Kayes.

Contacted, Barrister Moudud told The Daily Star that the judge [Imrul Kayes] has framed charges against him in his absence and without asking him whether he is guilty or not guilty.

“The judge illegally framed charges against me, as he did not read out the charges before me and did not ask me whether I am guilty or not guilty. I had submitted an application to the judge, saying that I will not get justice from him (Imrul Kayes) as he was over enthusiastic to hurriedly frame charges against me, but he rejected the application,” he said.

The accused BNP leader said the judge has framed the charges against him although a revision petition against this judge’s order regarding his expenditure mentioned in the case has been pending with the High Court.

“I will now get the revision petition disposed of from the High Court. Then, I will challenge at the High Court the charge framing order in the case and will move a petition before the High Court for transferring the court where the case is pending,” he added.

ACC lawyer Advocate Khurshid Alam Khan told this correspondent that Moudud Ahmed had challenged at the High Court and the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court the legality of every step taken by the ACC regarding the corruption case against him.

The HC and apex court has cleared the way for the lower court to run the trial proceedings of the case, he said, adding that the lower court will not determine through examining documents, evidence and statements from the witnesses whether Moudud Ahmed had amassed wealth beyond his known source of income.     

 On September 16, 2007, the ACC filed the case against Moudud with Gulshan Police Station on charge of amassing wealth beyond his known sources of income and withholding information about his assets.

The first information report (FIR) of the case said Moudud showed movable and immovable properties worth over Tk 13.23 crore in his account of wealth submitted to the ACC on July 23, 2007.

On May 15, 2008, the ACC pressed charges against Moudud in the case alleging that he (Moudud) amassed wealth worth over Tk 7.38 crore through illegal means and concealed information about wealth worth over Tk 4.40 crore from the commission.

BNP leaders Barrister Moudud Ahmed and Advocate Sanaullah Miah have secured anticipatory bail from the High Court in two separate cases today.

The HC bench of Justice Muhammad Abdul Hafiz and Justice Kashefa Hussain granted them bail till submission of the police report of the case to the lower court.

The bench passed the order after hearing two separate petitions filed by Moudud and Sanaullah seeking bail in the cases, both of who appeared before the court.

Police filed the cases with Hatirjheel and Khilgaon police stations against the duo Monday, on charges of conspiring and provoking people against the government.

The lawsuit was filed after BNP’s public meeting at Suhrawardy Udyan.

Advocate Zainul Abedin appeared for the petitioner.

The High Court today transferred the trial proceedings of a corruption case against BNP leader Barrister Moudud Ahmed from the Metropolitan Senior Special Judge’s Court of Dhaka to another court.

The bench of Justice Obaidul Hassan and Justice SM Kuddus Zaman passed the order following a petition filed by Barrister Moudud seeking transfer of the case from the court of Judge KM Imrul Kayes of Metropolitan Senior Special Judge’s Court to any other court.

The HC, however, did not disclose the name of the court where it transferred the case, Barrister Moudud told The Daily Star.

The name of the court will be known when the HC releases the full text of its order, he said.

Earlier in July last year, Moudud Ahmed had expressed no confidence in Judge Imrul Kayes.

On July 25 last year, Moudud said that the HC had transferred this case from the court of Judge KM Imrul Kayes to the court of the then Metropolitan Senior Special Judge of Dhaka Kamrul Hossain Mollah.

Later, Judge Kamrul Hossain Mollah got appointed as a High Court judge and Judge KM Imrul Kayes succeeded him as the judge of Metropolitan Senior Special Judge of Dhaka, he said.

The Anti- Corruption Commission (ACC) had filed the corruption case against him in order to harass him, he added.

On September 16, 2007, the ACC filed the case against Moudud with Gulshan Police Station on charges of amassing wealth beyond the known sources of his income and withholding information about his assets.

The first information report (FIR) of the case said Moudud showed movable and immovable properties worth over Tk 13.23 crore in his wealth statement submitted to the ACC on July 23, 2007.

On May 15, 2008, the ACC pressed charges against Moudud in the case alleging that he amassed wealth worth over Tk 7.38 crore through illegal means and concealed information about wealth worth over Tk 4.40 crore from the commission.

Barrister Moudud Ahmed himself moved the petition, while Advocate Khurshid Alam Khan appeared for the ACC.