A Dhaka court framed charges against the daily Amar Desh acting editor Mahmudur Rahman yesterday, in connection with a case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission in 2010.
The case says Mahmudur, former energy adviser to the then prime minister Khaleda Zia in 2001-06, failed to submit his wealth statement despite several legal notices served to him. He also concealed his source of income.
Dhaka’s Third Special Court Judge Basudev Roy passed the indictment order in the presence of the accused and set May 28 for the beginning of the trial with the prosecution witness’ testimony.
During the proceedings, Mahmudur claimed that he was a victim of political vendetta as the newspaper had published articles against Sajeeb Wazed Joy, son of the prime minister.
“The government filed 70 cases against me to implement its master plan. This is a purely political agenda,” he alleged.
Before passing the order the court also rejected a time petition and a discharge petition, filed by the defence, after a hearing.
Defence lawyer Sanaullah Miah filed the petitions yesterday mentioning that a hearing with the High Court was pending for a leave to appeal. He said the accused had been shown arrested in nine cases.
However, ACC lawyer Mosharraf Hossain Kajal said Mahmudur had been served legal notices repeatedly for disclosing his wealth status, adding, “But he did not respond to the notices. He should be indicted in this case.”
ACC Deputy Director Nur Ahammad filed the case with the Gulshan police on April 13, 2010. The charge sheet was submitted to the court on July 15 the same year.
Following this, Mahmudur filed a stay petition with the High Court. After it was rejected last year, he had lodged a leave to appeal.
Mahmudur was produced before the court from the Kashimpur Jail.
Also blamed for instigating violence and spreading religious propaganda, Mahmudur has been in jail since April 11 last year.
The arrest was made almost four months after he had been sued for publishing reports on Skype conversations between a judge of the International Crimes Tribunal and an expatriate Bangladeshi legal expert.