Plight of Jaha Alam: HC wants to know steps taken against ACC officials

High Court today wanted to know what steps have been taken against officials of the Anti-Corruption Commission and the banks responsible for wrongly implicating Jaha Alam in corruption cases following the commission’s internal probe report.

According to the ACC’s probe report, which was placed before the HC today, investigation officials of the ACC are responsible for wrongly implicating jute mill worker Jaha Alam in the graft cases, which resulted in him languishing in jail for three years.

Describing the extent of the officials’ carelessness, the report said 12 ACC officials investigated the cases, but none of them visited Jaha Alam’s house. Some bank officials and introducers of Salek’s bank accounts misled the investigation officials, it mentioned.

The HC also directed the ACC, Sonali Bank and Brac Bank to submit separate reports before it by August 21 on the steps taken against the officials responsible for Jaha Alam’s suffering and to keep an eye on them so that they cannot leave the country.

The HC bench of Justice FRM Nazmul Ahasan and Justice KM Kamrul Kader came up with the order during hearing a suo moto (voluntary) rule over compensating the victim.

ACC’s lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan placed the ACC’s probe report before the HC during hearing.

Deputy Attorney General Abdullah-Al-Mahmud Bashar told the court that Jaha Alam has suffered in jail in place of original accused due to the incompetence and negligence of the ACC officials and bank officials and therefore, the HC may take action against them.    

Advocate Sheikh Zakir Hossain and Advocate M Asaduzzaman appeared for Sonali Bank and Brac Bank respectively.

In 2012, the ACC filed 33 cases against a number of individuals over misappropriation of Tk 18.5 crore from Sonali Bank. In 26 of the cases, Abu Salek, a businessman, was accused. But the ACC identified Jaha Alam as Salek. He was arrested in 2016 and sent to jail.

When the issue of wrongly implicating Jaha Alam surfaced in media, the HC intervened and ordered his release. He was released from Kashimpur Central Jail in Gazipur on February 4 this year.