Mirza Abbas Mirza Abbas, the newly-made convener of Dhaka city unit of BNP and standing committee member of BNP, is going to face cases under Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) again. After assuming office as minister for housing and public works during the tenure of four-party alliance government and later he was identified as the number one corrupt minister when the last caretaker government was in power. While in power, Abbas was allegedly involved in many corruption incidents and established terror regime. As a works minister Abbas amassed crores of taka through allotment of government plots, design approval and committing irregularities in allocating RAJUK plots. ACC lodged three cases against Mirza Abbas on charge of the allegations. Later he was given jail sentence. ACC again has takern an initiative to revive the cases. It is learnt from an investigation a number of 15 graft cases are pending with Dhaka Special Judge’s Court-3 and one with Special Judge’s Court-4. The then Judge Shahed Nuruddin indicted Abbas and 20 others in 15 cases for committing corruption worth over Tk 128 crore in selling 18 government houses, discounting the due process of tender. ACC Chairman Md Bodiuzzaman said, “The High Court has given a verdict in favour of ACC that the trial for Tk 128 crore corruption cases against Mirza Abbas can continue.” ACC lawyer Advocate Khurshid Alam Khan said, “There is no legal barrier for continuing cases against Mirza Abbas and others concerned.” ACC sources said sale of 18 government houses case is mostly talked-about among the three cases filed by ACC. Abbas is facing 20 cases filed under Special Powers Act and explosives-related law. Proceedings of 36 cases against him are going on at a snail’s pace due to negligence of state and ACC law officers. The ACC officials concerned said they will take step to get the stay orders on the cases withdrawn and trial proceedings expedited. According to case documents, a stage-managed tender was invited for giving allotment of houses to the chosen persons. The property includes house no NW (I)-6, road-53, Gulshan, house no K-6, road-89, Gulshan, house CNG-16, road-113, Gulshan, house no-B-5, road-113, Gulshan, house no-120, road-2, Old Dhanmondi, house no-139, road-2, Dhanmondi, house no-540/A (old), road-12, Dhanmondi, house no-540/B (old), road-12 (old), house no-723/A (old), road-14 (old), house no-723/B, road-14, Dhanmondi, 17 and 18 no College Street under Dhanmondi R/A, house no-7/1 of Nawratan Colony and property at Shantinagar. It is alleged that Abbas, the then housing and public works minister, did not give allotment of the houses to the highest bidders in the tender of public works directorate. Rather, he awarded them to the lowest bidders in a stage-managed tender invited by RAJUK. Abbas and others committed punishable offence under sections 409 and 109 of the penal code and section 5(2) of the Anti-Corruption Act 1947. ACC assistant director Shafiul Alam, who filed the case, also adduced evidence in the court. Abbas filed writs to stay proceedings of the cases. In 2010, the apex court rejected his petitions. As such graft cases involving sales of 18 houses are pending with the trial court. On the other hand, another case (case no 3/2008) against Abbas is pending with Special Judge’s Court-4. The then Judge Shamsunnahar indicted Abbas and two others in the case. According to the case details, Abbas recommended allotment of a newly created industrial plot at Tejgaon industrial area in favour of Pacific Chemicals Ltd, owned by BNP lawmaker Ali Asgar Loby. He allegedly abused power to be personally benefited. Without the clearance certificate of the environmental directorate and other necessary documents, he arranged the handover of possession of 20.96 kathas of land instead of 19.44 kathas on October 19, 2006. Later, Abbas secured a registered deed for the allotment. It is an offence under section 5(2) of the anti-graft law. The proceeding of the case is stayed by the High Court. On February 13, 2001, a case was filed against the same person with Ramna police station under Public Safety Act. The case (baring no-5) is now pending with a tribunal in Dhaka. On March 28, 2004, a case was filed against Abbas with Motijheel police station for killing American International University of Bangladesh student Arif. On December 19, 2005, Abbas allegedly shot one Rakibul to death publicly at a wedding ceremony in Shahjahanpur. The victim’s uncle filed a case against him with Motijheel police station. Police submitted final reports in respect of the two cases in 2008 and 2012. On February 24, 2007, Abbas was sued for keeping foreign currency at home. Motijheel police Thana case no-70 against him is pending with the court now. On March 22, 2007, he was sued for corruption. The case was lodged with Motijheel PS (case no140). On July 15, 2007, another graft case was filed with Shahbagh police station. The case no is 30. One month later, a case was filed against him for amassing huge property from unknown sources of income. The case number is 35 at Motijheel police station. On August 5, 2007, a case was filed against him with Special Judge’s Court in Dhaka for evading tax. When contacted, Mirza Abbas said, “It is the Awami League government policy to foil BNP’s planned movement through reviving cases against me. Finally Awami League will fail in harassing us by such strategies. About ACC, he said although ACC is supposed to play neutral role, they are failing to do so. The last caretaker government lodged false cases against me for defaming me.” Goyeswar Chandra Roy, the Standing Committee Member of BNP said, “Awami League government has become desperate to resist the anti-government movement called by BNP. They are trying to resist the movement in many ways while ACC is implementing AL’s political agenda.” He warned that BNP can not be kept confined by such strategies of Awami League as the present government will be ousted through mass movement.
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