& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

Bashundhara Bribery Case

Hearing deferred over Tarique plea on health ground

Staff Correspondent
A special court yesterday again deferred the hearing on charge framing in the Tk 21 crore bribery case against detained BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Tarique Rahman, former state minister for home Lutfozzaman Babar and six others to June 25.
Judge Shahed Noor Uddin of Special Court-3 set up on the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban premises passed the order as the prosecution failed to produce Tarique, the eldest son of detained BNP Chairperson 2
Khaleda Zia, before the court as he was ill.
Upon a defence plea submitted on June 15, the court also ordered the jail authority to arrange "proper treatment" forTarique.
The court session began at 10:50am.
Of the eight accused in the case, Babar and Abu Sufian, director of Bashundhara Group concern East-West Property Development Ltd, were produced before the court.
During the hearing, Tarique's counsel barrister Rafiqul Islam Mia requested the court to give orders for sending Tarique abroad for better treatment and adjourn the trial proceedings until his recovery.
Barrister Rafiq told the court that according to the report of the medical board formed by the government for Tarique, his physical condition is deteriorating day by day and that his treatment is not possible in the country.
Quoting the report, Rafiq also saidTarique's treatment is possible in Germany, Italy and England.
He urged the court to look into howTarique was made "cripple".
"Tarique, son of a freedom fighter and a former president, has been made cripple in custodial
torture and the court has the jurisdiction to look into the matter for the sake of justice," hesaid.
He also said since Tarique was sent to jail and placed on remand on court orders, the court should probe how a physically fit person was made ill.
Prosecution lawyer advocate SK Golam Hafiz opposed the defence request to the court for sending Tarique abroad for proper treat-
He said they have never objected to Tarique's treatment. The court has some limitations and cannot go beyond those limitations: rather it is the state that can pass such an executive order like sending Tarique abroad for treatment.
Alleging that the defence is "playing" with its client's life, Hafiz said the defence can submit a petition for Tarique's personal exemption from being present during the trial proceedings.
"Let us not play any game with the life of Tarique Rahman," said Hafiz.
The defence lawyer, however, said their client wants to be present during the trial proceedings.
Babar's lawyer also filed a petition yesterday for ensuring proper
treatment for his client.
After hearing both the sides, the coun fixed June 26 as the next date for hearing on charge framing in the case.
On October 4 last year, AntiCorruption Commission (ACC) Deputy Assistant Director Abul Kashem filed the bribery case, involving the murder of Bashundhara Group Director Humayun Kabir Sabbir, with Ramna Police Station, accusing six persons including Babar.
Tarique and former BNP lawmaker Qazi Saleemul Huq Kamal were included in the case after investigation found their involvement in the bribery.
Bashundhara Group Chairman Ahmed Akbar Sobhan alias Shah Alam and his two sons Shafiat Sobhan Sanvir and Sadaat Sobhan, and Tarique's personal secretary Mia Nur Uddin Apu are the other charge-sheeted accused.
The ACC said the eight were involved in receiving and giving the bribe to ensure that Sanvir did not face charges for killing Sabbir whose body was found outside a building in Bashundhara residential area on July 5,2006.