The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

A special court that deals with high-profile corruption cases yesterday dispensed with personal attendance of jailed former minister Mohammad Nasim during trial of the WorldTel scam case.

Granting the application filed by Nasim, Judge Shahed Noor Uddin fixed July 23 for arguments in connection with the case.

From now on Nasim will be represented by his lawyer Sheikh Baharul Islam during trial proceedings, court sources said. Nasim filed the application on June 26 as a supplementary to an earlier petition submitted to the government for overseas treatment. A front ranking Awami League leader, Nasim is now being treated at LabAid hospital after he suffered a massive brain stroke on June 24 at Kashimpur jail.

The WorldTel scam case alleges that Nasim, while he was Telecommunications Minister, had abused power to allow WorldTel Holdings Limited to install three lakh digital telephones in the capital without floating any tender.

Nasim's associate, AHS Rahman, a director of Consociates Ltd, was also accused in the case as he was illegally appointed a consultant by the then Telecommunications Minister to supervise the project that harmed country's interest.

Co-accused Rahman is being tried in absentia as he fled abroad after securing bail from the court.

Abdul Hye, an officer of the now-defunct Bureau of Anti-Corruption, sued the Nasim-Rahman duo on January 8, 2002.

Earlier in October last year, a special court sentenced Nasim to 13 years imprisonment for amassing wealth illegally and concealing information about his actual property.