A Dhaka court on Tuesday fixed March 20 to deliver its verdict against five people, including businessperson-turned-politician Helena Jahangir, in a fraud case filed at Pallabi police station in Dhaka.
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Md Tofazzal Hossain set the date as both prosecution and defence concluded their arguments in the case.
During the closing arguments, the prosecution told the court that they were able to prove the charges against the accused.
They also sought the highest punishment for all accused in the case.
The defence lawyers told the court that the prosecution failed to prove the charges against the accused and sought acquittal of their clients.
A total of 13 out of 18 prosecution witnesses testified in the case.
On April 18 last year, the court framed charges against Helena and four others in the case.
The four other accused are Hazera Khatun, general manager of Helena Jahangir's IPTV Joyjatra Television, Sanaullah Nuri, coordinator of the IPTV, Qamruzzaman Arif, chief news editor, and Mahfuzur Rahman, a staff reporter.
Abdur Rahman Tuhin, Bhola district correspondent of Joyjatra Television, filed the case on August 2, 2021.
On November 21, 2021, Inspector Shahinur Islam of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), the investigating officer of the case, submitted the charge sheet before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court.
According to the case statement, Helena took Tk54,000 from the complainant for appointing him as the Bhola district correspondent of Joyjatra Television. As a correspondent, Rahman worked for several months at the station but was not paid any salary.
Meanwhile, the television authorities took Tk3,000 per month from him.
Helena, a director of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FBCCI), is also facing charges in cases filed under the Digital Security Act, Narcotics Control Act and Wildlife Protection Act.
Members of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested Helena in a raid on her Gulshan residence in the capital on July 29 and took her to the RAB headquarters for questioning.
Bottles of foreign liquor, deerskin, walkie-talkies, foreign currencies and casino equipment were seized during the search, conducted based on some specific allegations against her, RAB said after the raid.
On July 25, 2021, she lost membership in the Awami League subcommittee on women's affairs for her involvement with Bangladesh Awami Chakrijibi League, an organization with no affiliation with the ruling party.
She was also removed from the advisor post of Comilla Awami League.
