Graft: BNP’s Altaf asked to surrender before trial court

The High Court (HC) today directed former BNP home minister Altaf Hossain Choudhury to surrender before the trial court in Barapukuria coal mine corruption case.

According to the order, Altaf has to surrender before the trial court in four weeks after the lower court receives the HC directive.

The High Court bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Shahidul Karim passed the order after rejecting a petition filed by Altaf seeking cancellation in the trial proceedings in the case.

READ: Khaleda, 10 of her ministers sued for Barapukuria coal mine corruption

Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan told The Daily Star that the High Court in 2008 stayed the trial proceedings in the case against Altaf following his petition.

The court also issued a rule asking the ACC and the government to explain why the proceedings against the BNP leader should not be scrapped.

Today, the High Court vacated the stay order and discharged the rule, the ACC lawyer said.

He added that if Altaf surrenders before the trial court in stipulated time, his bail in the case will be continued. But the law will take its own course if he does not surrender, he said.

The ACC on February 26, 2008 filed a case against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and 15 others including Altaf for graft in awarding Barapukuria coal mine operation contract to a Chinese company.