The High Court on Wednesday stayed the trial proceedings for six months of a case filed against Abdul Latif Siddique, former textiles and jute minister, by Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on charge of misuse of power in selling a government property.
The High Court bench of Justice Obaidul Hassan and Justice AKM Zahirul Huq passed the order after
hearing on a petition filed, Latif Siddique to stay the trial proceedings of the case.
Advocate Zead Al Malum appeared in the court on behalf of the former minister while advocate Khurshid Alam Khan stood for the state.
Earlier he secured bail from the High Court in the case on November 4, 2019 and the appellate division of the Supreme Court on November 17, 2020, upheld the High Court order.
ACC Assistant Director Aminul Islam lodged the case with Adamdighi Police Station in Bogura on October 10, 2017. Jahanara Rashid, wife of late Harunur Rashid in Kalitala of Adamdighi upazila, was also made accused in the case.
According to the case statement, Jahanara leased a piece of land in Adamdighi, owned by Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation, for three years at Tk 1.2 lakh per year on May 13, 2010.
On November 13, 2011, Jahanara applied to the ministry for purchasing the land.
Later, The then Textiles and Jute Minister Abdul Latif Siddique, without inviting any formal tender, awarded the land to Jahanara at Tk 2.39 million although its market price was Tk 6.46 million, resulting in a loss of Tk 4.06 million.
Following the incident, the ACC filed the case against Latif and Jahanara under the Penal Code and Section 5(2) of the Anti-Corruption Commission Act 1947. On June 20, 2019, a Bogura court sent Latif Siddique to jail in the case rejecting his bail petition.
