Abbas says Fakhrul and he were in condemned cell last year

Jail

BNP standing committee member Mirza Abbas today told CMM Court of Dhaka court that his party’s Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and he himself were kept in condemned cells after their arrest in a case filed with Paltan Police Station in December last year.

He said this while applying for First-Class Division in jail custody in a graft case filed against him in 2007, disclosed his lawyer Mohi Uddin Chowdhury.

The former BNP Minister told the court that he appeared in the court today on foot but he might need a wheelchair to appear in it on the next scheduled date if he is denied First-Class Division in jail custody.

At present, he is being kept on the ground floor of jail, the BNP leader also told the court.

Meanwhile, another Dhaka court directed the jail authorities to provide Mirza Abbas with better treatment and First-Class Division in jail custody if the Jail Code allows.

The order came after a petition was submitted by his lawyer seeking division for Mirza Abbas.

Metropolitan Magistrate Rajesh Chowdhury of the CMM Court passed the order after Mirza Abas was produced in the court on completion of a five-day remand in a case filed over attacking police and snatching firearms from the law enforcers in Shahjahanpur area of the capital on October 28.

Earlier, he was produced in the court in the graft case filed against him. 

On October 30, the trial court issued arrest warrant against the former BNP Minister after

rejecting his time petition in the case.

After hearing, Judge Monjurul Imam of the Special Judge Court-6 of Dhaka fixed November 8 for hearing on the petition.

The court, however, withdrew its earlier order for arguments and set the next date for recording his self-defense statement in the case.

With permission from the court, Mirza Abbas alleged that he along with Fakhrul were arrested in December last year in a case filed over the party's clash with police in Nayapaltan area.

Following the order, they were sent to Dhaka Central Jail in Karaniganj and kept in condemned cells, Mirza Abbas alleged.

Earlier, the court recorded the depositions of 24 prosecution witnesses, including the

complainant of the graft case.

The court framed charges against Mirza Abbas and his wife on June 16, 2008.

On August 16, 2007, the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case with Ramna

Police Station against Mirza Abbas and his wife Afroza Abbas for amassing wealth worth over Tk 5.67 crore beyond their known sources of income and concealing wealth information of Tk 23 lakh to the commission.

The ACC on May 14, 2008, pressed charges against Mirza Abbas and his wife Afroza Abbas in the case. – Special Correspondent