Plea rejected, Huda has to surrender in court

Former minister and BNP leader Barrister Nazmul Huda has no option now but to surrender before a lower court in connection with a bribery case. The Supreme Court (SC) yesterday rejected his petition, in which he had sought leave to appeal before the Appellate Division against a High Court (HC) verdict without surrendering in the lower court.

A five-member bench of the Appellate Division, headed by acting Chief Justice Md Abdul Wahhab Miah, rejected a petition filed by the former communication minister, stating that it had not been moved properly.

Hence, the former BNP minister must surrender in court in connection with the bribery case involving Tk. 2.4 crore, said Khurshid Alam Khan, counsel for the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). Huda’s advocate Nahid Sultana told the SC that her client had instructed her to not proceed with the petition. He prayed to the apex court to reject the petition considering that it had not been presented before it for hearing.

The HC on November 8 commuted Huda’s jail term to four years from seven in the case that was filed during the regime of the military-backed caretaker government. The HC bench also ordered Huda to surrender before a lower court within 45 days of receiving a copy of the verdict. The HC is yet to release the full text of the order.

On March 21, 2007, the ACC filed the aforementioned case in Dhanmondi police station, alleging that Huda took Tk. 2.40 crore in bribe from a businessman, Mir Zahir Hossain, in instalments, in exchange for five government contracts for construction work, including road renovation projects, worth about Tk. 30 crore.

Plea rejected, Huda has to surrender in court

Former minister and BNP leader Barrister Nazmul Huda has no option now but to surrender before a lower court in connection with a bribery case. The Supreme Court (SC) yesterday rejected his petition, in which he had sought leave to appeal before the Appellate Division against a High Court (HC) verdict without surrendering in the lower court. A five-member bench of the Appellate Division, headed by acting Chief Justice Md Abdul Wahhab Miah, rejected a petition filed by the former communication minister, stating that it had not been moved properly. Hence, the former BNP minister must surrender in court in connection with the bribery case involving Tk. 2.4 crore, said Khurshid Alam Khan, counsel for the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). Hudas advocate Nahid Sultana told the SC that her client had instructed her to not proceed with the petition. He prayed to the apex court to reject the petition considering that it had not been presented before it for hearing. The HC on November 8 commuted Hudas jail term to four years from seven in the case that was filed during the regime of the military-backed caretaker government. The HC bench also ordered Huda to surrender before a lower court within 45 days of receiving a copy of the verdict. The HC is yet to release the full text of the order. On March 21, 2007, the ACC filed the aforementioned case in Dhanmondi police station, alleging that Huda took Tk. 2.40 crore in bribe from a businessman, Mir Zahir Hossain, in instalments, in exchange for five government contracts for construction work, including road renovation projects, worth about Tk. 30 crore.