Charge framing hearing against Babar on Apr 11

March 11, 2010

A Dhaka court on Thursday fixed April 11 for hearing on charge framing against detained former state minister for home Lutfuzzaman Babar in a tax evasion case.

Judge Nasiruddin Mahmud of the Special Judge Court-5 passed the order following a time petition submitted by a counsel of Babar.

Meanwhile, another Dhaka court asked Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to submit a probe report by May 2 in Basundhara bribery case filed against Babar and three others.

Metropolitan Magistrate MA Salam passed the order as the investigation officer and Assistant Superintendent of CID Syed Momin Hossain failed to submit the probe report to the court in the day.

Earlier, Judge ANM Bashir Ullah of the Senior Special Judge’s Court on February 14 this year issued an arrest warrant against Babar hours after a case had been filed against him for dodging Tk 2.65 crore income tax from 1999-2000 to 2008-09 fiscal years.

Deputy Tax Commissioner Syed Zakir Hossain of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) filed the case against Babar.

NBR, in its case statement, mentioned that Babar, director of Master Electronics Industries Limited, evaded Tk 2,65,44,122 in income tax on his income of Tk 8,06,80,122 from his firm for the fiscal years 1999-2000 to 2008-2009.

Babar repeatedly provided false information about his real income and expenditure, even though he was an influential person and a leading businessman, alleged the NBR statement.

The bribery case was filed against them for taking and giving bribes to cover up the murder case of Humayun Kabir Sabbir, a director of Bashundhara Group.

The other accused are Bashundhara Group Chairman Ahmed Akbar Sobhan alias Shah Alam, Director of East West Property Development Pvt Ltd Abu Sufian, and a Director of Prime Bank and former BNP lawmaker Qazi Saleemul Huq Kamal.

Metropolitan Magistrate Moazzem Hossain passed the order as the Investigation Officer and Assistant Superintendent of CID Syed Momin Hossain failed to submit the report to the court on January 24.

On May 8, 2008, CID Assistant Superintendent Arman Ali filed the case with Ramna Police Station against the accused.

Earlier on May 6 the same year, Anti-Corruption Commission pressed charges against former prime minister Khaleda Zia’s son Tarique Rahman, Babar, Saleemul Huq, Shah Alam and his two sons Shafiat Sobhan Sanvir and Sadaat Sobhan, Abu Sufian and Tarique’s personal secretary Mia Nur Uddin Apu.

The anti-graft body said the eight were involved with the bribery to save Sanvir from the charges of killing Sabbir.

On July 5, 2006, Sabbir’s body was found outside a building in Bashundhara residential area.

The former state minister was earlier arrested on charges of amassing a huge amount of money through illegal means during the last caretaker government. Later he was sentenced to 17 years’ rigorous imprisonment for possessing illegal firearms and ammunition.

Babar is now under Criminal Investigation Department custody for his alleged involvement in the killing of former finance minister Shah AMS Kibria.

Charge framing hearing against Babar on Apr 11

Comments