The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

There are the names of more than 150 VIP accused, including detained former prime ministers Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina in the list of some 1,500 graft cases now lying with the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

The ACC has already finalized the list, and a cell has been opened at the Supreme Court to examine the cases.

Apart from filing new cases, the ACC has taken an initiative to start the proceedings of some 2,500 old cases which remained pending with the previous commission.

The BNP leaders, who have been accused in these cases include BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, her elder son and the party's senior joint secretary general Tarique Rahman, her brother Maj (Retd) Sayeed Iskander, former Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Khondaker Mosharraf Hossain, former Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Barrister Moudud Ahmed, BNP chairperson's adviser Brigadier (Retd) ASM Hannan Shah, former Housing and Public Works Minister Mirza Abbas, former Home Minister Air Vice Marshall (Retd) Altaf Hossain Chowdhury, former State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism Mir Mohammad Nasiruddin, former State Minister for Labour and Manpower Amanullah Aman, former Prime Minister's Political Secretary Mosaddak Ali Falu, former BNP lawmaker Asmat Ali, former Public Works Minister Barrister Rafiqul Huq Mia, former Red Crescent Society chairman Shahidul Huq Jamal and Maj (Retd) Manzur Kader.

On the other hand, among the Awami League leaders, who have been made accused in these cases include Awami League president and former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, AL general secretary and former Commerce Minister Abdul Jalil, AL presidium member and former Industries Minister Tofail Ahmed, former Home Minister Mohammad Nasim, former Environment and Forest Minister Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, former Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Engr Mosharraf Hossain, former State Minister for Information Prof Abu Sayeed, former State Minister for Planning Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir, former State Minister for Energy and Mineral Resources Prof Rafiqul Islam, Chittagong City Corporation Mayor ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury and Awami Shecchasebak League president Haji Makbul.

The Jatiya Party leaders, who have been made accused in the cases include former president and JP chairman Hosyan Muhammad Ershad, his wife and former first lady Begum Raushan Ershad, former Deputy Prime Minister Shah Moazzem Hossain, former Communications Minister Anwar Hossain Manju, JP secretary general Ruhul Amin Howlader and former minister Kazi Firoze Rashid.

Besides, the pending graft cases include the names of Col (Retd) Oli Ahmed of LDP, businessman Gias Uddin Al Mamun and former Vice-Chancellor of Dhaka University Prof Emajuddin Ahmed.

These graft cases also include the names of former bureaucrats, businessmen, government officials and employees and local level public representatives.

It is learnt that through the opening a separate cell at the Supreme Court the ACC is going to start legal battles regarding these graft cases.