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Khaleda Zia's assignment officer Firoz jailed for 10 yrs

Staff Correspondent
A special court dealing with corruption cases yesterday sentenced former prime minister Khaleda Zia's assignment officer Dr Firoz Mahmud Iqbal to 10 years' imprisonment for amassing wealth beyond known sources of income. The court also sentenced his wife Imtiaz Begum to three years' imprisonment for abetting him in accumulating wealth illegally.
Judge Tanzina Ismail of the Special Judge's Court-6 on the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban premises also fined Iqbal Tk 10 lakh, in default of which he has to serve jail term for another year His wife was fined Tk 1 lakh, in default of which she has to be in prison for one more month.
The court also issued orders for confiscating their ill-gotten assets worth Tk 1,73,92,567.
Firoz and his wife are on the run and they were tried in absentia.
The court ordered that the verdict would come into effect from the day of their arrest or surrender before it. AntiCorruption Commission (ACC) Deputy Director Sayed Iqbal Hossain filed the case with Ramna police station on November 13, 2007, accusing Firoz and his wife of illegally accumulatingTk 1.47 crore.
ACC Assistant Director Jahangir /Mam submitted charge sheet on March 23 this year while charges were framed on April 23.
According to the charge sheet, illegally amassed wealth worth Tk 87,87,677 was found in possession of Firoz and that worth Tk 86,04,890 in possession of his wife.
Firoz had become one of the most controversial figures during the rule of the BNP-led alliance by influencing postings and transfers of government officials and employees including police officials, and accumulated huge wealth through this mischief.
He was also an influential figure at Hawa Bhaban, dubbed as an alternative centre of power during the alliance rule. He used to lobby with high-ups at the Prime Miniter' Office and the office of the president with lists of people to get them posted or transferred.
Firoz is also an accused in several other cases. In one of the cases filed with Tejgaon police station on November 13 last year, ACC Deputy Director Iqbal Hossain accused him of using three vehicles of Essential Drugs Company Ltd (EDCL) and two vehicles of Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) for his private work and family purposes from June 2003 to October 2006, causing a loss of Tk 34.90 lakh to the national exchequer.
Moreover, the ACC on Monday approved filing of two more cases against him on charges of abus-
Ing power in connivance with others, and taking bribes.
Firoz was among the 142 people barred by the National Board of Revenue from legalising undisclosed money. A graft suspect according to the ACC list, he was also among the 24 people whose account details in all banks were sought by Bangladesh Bank.