The New Nation - Internet Edition

Rajshahi Correspondent

A Rajshahi court yesterday sentenced Lutfar Rahman, a close aide of Rajshahi City Corporation's (RCC) mayor Mizanur Rahman Minu and RCC Budget cum Accounts Officer, to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) for amassing illegal wealth and properties worth over Tk 24 lakh.

The Court also sentenced Lutfar's wife Nazma Rahman to three years RI.

The Court fined the couple with Tk 20.5 lakh and seized all their movable and immovable properties.

According to the judgement, Lutfar Rahman was given eight years RI and fined with Tk 15 lakh, in default to suffer one year more in jail under Section 27 (1) of Anti-Corruption Commission Act of 2004 and Section 109 of Penal Code.

He was jailed for another two years and fined with Tk 50,000, under Section 5 (1) E of Prevention of Corruption Act of 1947.

Lutfar's wife Nazma Rahman was awarded three years RI under Section 27 (1) of Anti-Corruption Commission Act of 2004 and Section 109 of Penal Code.

Sub-inspector Sirajum Monir of Boalia police station lodged the case on February 28 after Joint Forces arrested Lutfar on February 21.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) investigated the case and brought charges against the couple for possessing properties worth Tk 24,06,870 from illegal sources of income.

According to the charge sheet Lutfar and his wife were possessing wealth of around Tk 35 lakh. But Lutfar's legal income between 1996 and February 2007 was not more than Tk 11 lakh as his wife had no income.

Joint Forces seized different luxury households including an air conditioner, documents including nine deeds of landed properties and seven bank accounts from their house.

Lutfar joined RCC with a monthly salary of Tk 2000 in 1996. Later, he amassed the huge wealth, owned three multi-storied buildings, 7 plots of land in Rajshahi city, and two in Natore.

He, using influence of Minu used to lead a four-member syndicate to control different RCC projects.