Staff Reporter :
The High Court on Thursday called for all the documents related to probe the allegations against the 17 CBA leaders of Biman Bangladesh Airlines who did not respond to the notice of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) six years ago.
The Anti-Corruption Commission has been asked to submit the documents in the court within two weeks. The court at the same time fixed March 9 for further hearing on the matter.
The High Court bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Mohi Uddin Shamim passed the order after holding hearing on a petition filed in this regard.
Advocate Manzill Murshid took part in the hearing on behalf of the writ petitioner, while advocate Fouzia Akhter represented the Anti-Corruption Commission and Deputy Attorney General AKM Amin Uddin Manik represented the state.
Following a petition the High Court on January 28 this year wanted to know from the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) what steps had been taken or whether any step had been taken against the 17 CBA leaders of Biman Bangladesh Airlines. The anti-graft body had been asked to comply with the order within seven days.
Complying with the order the ACC on Thursday submitted a report in the court saying that the 17 CBA leaders appeared before the ACC and gave their statement. Then advocate Manzill Murshid opposed the report saying that the report didn’t have any specific information about the veracity of the allegations.
The court then called for the case documents as it could not be happy overt the report, said Deputy Attorney General AKM Amin Uddin Manik. The 17 CBA leaders are then CBA president Md Mashiqur Rahman, vice-presidents Anwar Hossain, Azharul Imam Mazumder and Md Younus Khan, secretary Md Montasar Rahman, Assistant Secretary Md Rubel Chowdhury, Organizing Secretary Md Rafiqul Alam, assistant Organizing Secretary Md Abul Kalam, Finance Secretary Md Atiqur Rahman, Office Secretary Md Harunur Rahman and Publication Secretary Abdul Bari.
The list also included cultural secretary Md Ferozul Islam, social welfare secretary Md Abdus Sobhan, women affairs secretary Asma Khanom, international affairs secretary Golam Kaiser Ahmed, executive members Md Abdul Jabbar and Md Abdul Aziz.
The ACC on January 12 in 2014 issued a notice to these 17 CBA leaders to appear before the anti-graft body over corruption charges.
But the 17 leaders skipped the interrogation session even after getting the ACC’s summons. Rather the leaders said they would legally deal with any step the ACC might take.
Later on February 3 in 2014 a rights organization, Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB), filed a writ petition with the High Court challenging the inaction of the ACC to take steps against the CBA leaders.
After primary hearing on the writ petition, a High Court on February 10 in 2014 issued a ruling asking the respondents to explain as to why their inaction to interrogate the 17 CBA leaders of Biman Bangladesh Airlines for not responding to summons issued by the ACC should not be declared illegal.
The civil aviation secretary, Biman Bangladesh Airlines Managing Director, ACC chairman, National Board of Revenue chairman, Biman’s CBA president and general secretary were asked to comply with the ruling within two weeks.
Lawyer Manzill Murshid said the writ petition came to the cause-list of the High Court bench for hearing on January 28. Upon hearing the High Court passed the order asking the ACC what steps had been taken against the 17 CBA leaders of Biman Bangladesh Airlines.
