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HC upholds lower court convictions of Tuku, Aman, Sabera in graft cases

Published : Wednesday, 31 May, 2023 at 12:00 AM  Count : 323


The High Court on Tuesday upheld the jail term of BNP standing committee member Iqbal Hassan Mahmood Tuku and BNP leader Amanullah Aman and his wife Sabera Aman in separate corruption cases filed against them during the army-led caretaker regime in 2007-2008.

At the same time, the HC bench ordered the convicted BNP leaders - Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku, Aman Ullah Aman and his wife Sabera Aman - to surrender before the lower court within two weeks.
The bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Khizir Hayat delivered the verdicts after dismissing the appeals filed by Aman, Tuku and Sabera challenging the lower court verdicts on them.

In its observation, the HC bench said that politicians engage in politics to dedicate themselves to the welfare of the people and the country and politics is a form of great sacrifice for the welfare of the people and the country. So politicians will be custodians of people's wealth, they cannot play the role of consumers.

The HC bench also observed that there were many ways to acquire wealth by resorting to legitimate business and other professions. But politics cannot come under any profession to earn money, it noted.

Terming corruption a heinous crime, the HC bench observed that corruption affects people of all sexes, ages and castes. It hits the poor and vulnerable groups the hardest. The people of the country especially the responsible stakeholders should set a positive example, that they are not only victims of corruption but also key players in the fight against it.

In the verdict, the court said, if you want to bring change in the world and make Bangladesh free from corruption, you have to fight together against it. There should be an effective and robust mechanism to bring the corrupt to justice as well as accountability.

The court observed that children should be taught to distinguish between honesty and dishonesty from childhood and adolescence.

The HC bench also observed that as a global movement, our goal is to end corruption in the world and in Bangladesh, wherever it is and in whatever form. We know that the only way to succeed is to involve citizens in the anti-corruption campaign. We strive to prevent and eradicate all forms of corruption and money laundering from the society, the HC bench noted.

The High court earlier in 2010, after hearing their appeals, acquitted the BNP leaders of the corruption charges.

The two leaders were among many convicts who were acquitted by the High Court in 2009 and 2010 on the ground that the Anti-Corruption Commission committed illegality in  prosecuting the politicians and other accused  on the basis of wholesale notice asking them to submit their wealth statement in February 2007, said ACC lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan.

He said that the Appellate Division responding to ACC appeals revived their sentences and asked the High Court to rehear the convicts appeals afresh.

A special court on June 21, 2007 sentenced Aman to 13 years' imprisonment for amassing wealth illegally and concealing information in his wealth statement while his wife was jailed for three years for abetting husband in acquiring the disproportionate wealth.

Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku was jailed for 13 years but the Appellate Division scrapped his three years of imprisonment and directed the High Court to hear again his appeal to settle the dispute of the remaining terms of imprisonment.







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