The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

The High Court Wednesday stayed the proceedings of a corruption case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission against detained Barisal city corporation mayor Majibor Rahman Sarwar.

Staying further proceedings of the case, following his petition, a division bench comprising Justice Shah Abu Nayeem Mominur Rahman and Justice Shahidul Islam issued rule upon the ACC to explain why its notice and subsequent institution of the case should not be declared "unlawful".

"The rule is made returnable in eight weeks," says the court order.

On July 8 last year, ACC deputy director of Barisal district AKM Fazlul Haque filed the case against mayor Sarwar. Sarwar's wife, Syeda Nasima Sarwar, have also been implicated in the case on charges of abetting her husband in protecting his "ill-gotten wealth".

The case was filed under sections of 26 (2) and 27 (1) of the ACC Act and Emergency Power Rules.

In the First Information Report (FIR), the complainant mentioned that the mayor hid information on his wealth worth Tk 3.86 crore in the statement submitted to the commission under the ongoing purge.

Besides, he accumulated Tk 9.93 crore which is disproportionate to his known sources of income.

The mayor submitted statement of wealth worth Tk 8.29 crore to the commission on July 26 last year through jail authority following the issuance of notice upon him.

Barrister Mahbub Uddin Khokan appeared for Sarwar.