Deposed president Ershad owns three houses worth Taka 32.74.772; one tn Dhaka and two tn Rangpur
Deposing before the special judge court chaired bv Judge-Mohammad Ah Khan yesterday the prosecution witnesses said that Ershad had given his house in Dhaka to his wife Raws han Ershad and son Rahghir Al Mahl (Saad Ershad) as a gift while that of Rangpur had been rented out
The prosecution side yesterday produced 1 I witnesses including Shamsul Haq. man ager of Rupali Bank Cantonment Branch who was also produced earlier
The prosecution side was led by Attorney General Amlnul Haque while Deputy Attorney Generals Hasan Arif and Amini i Kabir Chowdhury. APP Fariduddin Ahmed assisted him.
On the other side the defence was led by advocate Slrajul Haque while TIM Fazle Rabbi. Yousuf Hussain Humayun. Sudhir Kumar Hazra and Mosharraf Hossain Kazal assisted him.
Prosecution witness Shamsul Haque during his cross-examination expressed his Ignorance about a suggestion that the FDR with Cantonment Branch of Rupali Bank was opened by Ershad much earlier, and that in 1987 it was renewed for three years, in this FDR there was 10 lakh taka which was subsequently frozen by the government.
Prosecution witness Lt Col (retd) Nurul Haque member. Land and Estate of RAJ UK. de posing before the court said that Ershad got a one-bigha-plot. No NWC/8 Road No 62. Gulshan from RAJ UK in 1980 which was valued at Taka 5.66.666. Ershad had to pay Taka 5.81.336 including interest for the plot. After construction of a house on this plot it was given to Rawshan Ershad and Rahgir Al Mahl (Saad Ershad) on May 3. 1984 as a gift, he said and added that a gift certificate was registered with the RAJ UK
During cross-examination he said that RAJ UK had so far allotted 20.000 plots to different persons and many of them got even two bigha to two and a half btghas plots
Deposing before the court another prosecution witness Abdur Rashid. Executive Engineer of Mahakhali Branch of Public Works Department said I hat he assessed l he value
of the house along with an inspector of the Bureau of AntiCorruption on February 16.
1991 and found that the cost of the house was not less than Taka 15.33.624. During cross examination he said that the valuation was assessed at 1981 prices as It was found that the house was built that year
Prosecution witness MA Wadud. Director of TAT Board deposing before the court cor roborated the statement of the Executive Engineering (Tech) of TAT Board, who was pro duced earlier and witnessed to the International maritime earth satellite and high pow ered TV antena which were recovered from Sena Bhavan Wadud said that he did not know whether the TV antena was given by the Crown Prince of Kuwait.
Artfur Rahman Secretary of National Tea Company who was produced as prosecution wit ness said that Ershad earned a sum of Taka 67.602 as profit from his 250 shares of the company worth Taka 25.000.
Executive Engineer Shajahan All deposing before llie court said that he stayed al the house of Ershad in Rangpur from April 1984 to March 1989 and paid Taka 4000 per month to Ershad's mother as rent.
Executive Engineer of Rangpur Public Works Department said that he assessed the value of the two houses at Taka 11.59.812.
The prosecution side also produced Senior Assistant Secretary of Home Ministry Abdul Malek as prosecution witness.
Three of the servants or Ershad ShafiqulIslam. Hossen Ahmed and Abu Sayeed were also tendered to the court for deposition.
Till yesterday the prosecution side produced 24 witnesses. The court was adjourned till Sunday next.
More lawyers
UNB adds: Ershad now undergoing trial in a corruption case has appointed five more lawyers to defend him.
They are Mofizur Rahman Majumdar. Mustafa Jamal (Baby). Sharif Ahmed. Shafiqul Islam Babul and Helaluddin. AU of them were appointed earlier but dropped few days ago.
With them. IB lawyers arc enlisted to defend the deposed President who has already been convicted in an arms case and sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment