The New Nation - Internet Edition

Chittagong Correspondent

The much-talked about former Jamaat-e-Islami MP Shahjahan Chowdhury, who went into hiding after the January 11 changeover, surrendered to a court in the port city yesterday morning. Court sources said the Jamaat leader surrendered to a special tribunal at about 11:30am in a graft case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and sought bail.

Judge Mirza Mohammad Ayub Ali, Fifth Additional District Judge of the special tribunal ordered to send him to jail, turning down his bail prayer. The judge also set November 3 for framing charge in the case.

Earlier, Shahjahan Chowdhury went to the court along with a large number of Jamaat leaders and activists.

The ACC filed the case against Shahjahan Chowdhury on July 1 under the Anti-Corruption Act and the Emergency Powers Rules (EPR), on charge of concealing wealth information in his wealth statement submitted to the anti-graft watchdog.

In the complaint ACC accused him of hiding the information about

possessing a luxury car which he imported at a cost of Tk 51.49 lakh during the alliance government's regime under the privilege of importing duty-free car. The car will now cost Tk 1.5 crore.

Shahjahan Chowdhury later sold the car to Pacific Motors, a car sale company owned by Faisal Morshed Khan, son of former Foreign Minister and BNP leader M Morshed Khan. Faisal Morshed Khan is also an accused in the case.

ACC seized the posh car from the showroom of Pacific Motors at Uttara in the capital at the end of August. It may be mentioned that Shahjahan Chowdhury was elected an MP from Satkania constituency of Jatiya Sangsad in the 8th parliamentary election defeating the then BNP standing committee member Col (Retd) Oli Ahmed. There were allegations of widespread ballot rigging and terrorist activities against him in the election.