HC asks Khaleda’s adviser Shahidul to surrender
The High Court today ordered BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s adviser and former BNP whip Shahidul Huq Jamal to surrender before a trial court in seven days, in connection with three separate cases filed on charges of misappropriating 30 tonnes of rice allotted for relief.
The HC also issued three rules asking Shahidul and the government to explain in four weeks why the lower court orders that exempted him from the charges should not be scrapped.
The court, however, asked the lower court to consider bail to Shahidul if he surrenders to that court in connection with the cases.
The bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice KM Hafizul Alam came up with the orders and rules following three revision petitions filed by Anti-Corruption Commission, challenging the lower court’s exemption orders.
Deputy Attorney General AKM Amin Uddin Manik told The Daily Star that ACC filed three cases with Banaripara Police Station in Barishal on June 25, 2009 against former union parishad members—Sharmin Zakia, Shirin Begum and Jahanara Begum on charges of misappropriating total 30 tonnes of rice allocated for storm and tidal wave-affected people in 2006-2007 fiscal.
Later, ACC submitted separate charge sheets to the lower court on August 1, 2012, also implicating Shahidul in the cases.
The court of Barishal Divisional Special Judge on September 23 this year framed charges of the cases exonerating Shahidul, DAG Manik, said Amin adding that Barishal Divisional Special Judge’s court has exonerated Shahidul from 20 similar cases.
Advocate Khurshid Alam Khan appeared for the ACC, while Barrister Shafique Ahmed and Advocate MK Rahman argued for Shahidul.
Earlier on November 27, the same HC bench passed a similar order on a revision petition filed by the ACC challenging the Barishal Divisional Special Judge’s court order that exonerated Shahidul in a relief rice misappropriation case.
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