The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

The High Court yesterday granted bail for two months to three former ministers M Saifur Rahman, Maulana Motiur Rahman Nizami and Secretary General Ali Ahsan Muhammad Mojaheed in the Barapukuria coalmine graft case.

A division bench of the High Court comprising Justice M Mozammel Hossain and Justice Afzal Hossain Ahmed also stayed for two months the proceedings of the case filed against them as well as former prime minister and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia.

Following High Court orders, the three influential leaders of the four-party alliance on November 10 surrendered to the special court in the Parliament-building Complex and sought bail. They were sent to jail as judge of special court AK Roy rejected their bail prayers and ordered them into jail.

Of the three charge-sheeted accused, senior BNP leader Saifur Rahman was granted bail on health grounds while the two Jamaat leaders--Nizami and Mojaheed-were given bail as the graft case against them appeared to have been filed without jurisdiction and with mala-fide intention, according to lawyers.

Responding to their petitions, the High Court bench also issued separate rules upon the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to explain in four weeks why the case against them should not be quashed.

Saifur Rahman's lawyer Barrister Rafiqul Islam Miah told reporters that the High Court granted bail to Saifur on medical grounds. He said the case could not run, as there were not any substantial allegations against him.

Barrister Abdur Razzaque pleaded for the Jamaat leaders.

The Anticorruption Commission filed the case on February 26 this year accusing former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and nine of her former cabinet colleagues. The charge sheet of the case was submitted to court on October 5.

The case stated that the government incurred losses worth about Tk 159 crore due to awarding a contract for operating Barapukuria coal mine to a Chinese company through "abuse of power.

The principal accused, Begum Khaleda Zia, secured bail from the High Court in this and three other graft cases and recently came out of jail in changed in the political scenario.