Former Bangladeshi minister faces jail term over million-dollar corruption case

A Bangladesh court on Sunday scrapped the bail former minister Nazmul Huda and sent him to jail after he surrendered before it in Taka 2.4 crore graft case, in which he was sentenced to four years imprisonment. Huda, who is Chairman of the Bangladesh National Alliance (BNA) -- an ally of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's ruling Awami League, was sentenced to seven-year jail term by a lower court in the case but the High Court last year, reduced his sentence to four years.

"He (Huda) surrendered before the Special Judge's Court seeking renewal of his bail but judge Ruhul Imran declined his prayer and ordered him to be sent to jail which was complied with immediately," a prosecution lawyer said. The anti-corruption commission in March 2007 accused Huda, who had served as the communication minister in the jailed ex-premier and BNP chief Khaleda Zia's cabinet between 2001 and 2006, of receiving Taka 2.40 crore as bribe from a businessman, at different times in exchange for awarding him government contracts for construction works worth about Taka 30 crore.

A special court in August 2007 sentenced Huda to seven years rigorous jail term, while his wife Sigma Huda was sentenced to three-year simple imprisonment. Following their appeal, the High Court in March 2011, acquitted a couple of the corruption charges. But the Appellate Division in December 2014 set aside his acquittal and asked the HC to hold a fresh hearing on their appeal. In November 2017, the HC in its verdict said Sigma Huda's sentence will be considered as served because she earlier served jail in the case.

The High Court, in November last year, released the full text of its verdict that was delivered in November 2017 commuting the jail term of Huda to four-year imprisonment from seven-year jail in the case. The HC in its verdict said "when a high-ranking government official abuses his power, it greatly damages the country's economy, national interest and image". Huda, who is in his early 70s and a lawyer, however, secured a 45-day bail from the HC while he tried to get the bail period extended from the Supreme Court but failed as the apex court said he must give up to the trial court for subsequent legal procedures.

(With inputs from agencies.)