Decision on charges against Babar, nine others on Apr 1

A Dhaka court will decide on April 1 whether to accept charges against 10 people, including Khandaker Mohtesam Hossain Babar, brother of former minister Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, in a Tk 2,000 crore money laundering case.

After receiving the case dockets and other relevant documents, Judge KM Emrul Kayesh of the Senior Special Judge's Court of Dhaka yesterday set the date, court sources said.

The judge also asked the jail authorities to produce the accused, now in jail, before his court on that date.

The other accused include Sajjad Hossain Barkat, former general secretary of Faridpur town Awami League unit, and his brother Imtiaz Hasan alias Rubel, former president of Faridpur Press Club; Khandaker Mosharraf's assistant personal secretary and former convener of Faridpur district Jubo League AHM Fuad, former Faridpur town Jubo League president Khandakar Nazmul Islam Levi, former general secretary of Faridpur town unit Jubo League Ashiqur Rahman Farhan, general secretary of Faridpur district Swechchhasebak League Fahad Bin Wazed Fahim, former joint convener of Faridpur town Jubo League Kamrul Hasan David, district Jubo League joint convener Mohammad Ali Minar and Faridpur town Jubo League joint convener Tariqul Islam Nasim.

Of them, Barkat, Rubel, Levi and Farhan are now in jail. Barkat was expelled from the AL after his arrest. Barkat and Rubel amassed Tk 2,535.11 crore beyond their sources of income, said the case documents.

Babar, now vice president of Faridpur district Awami League, Fuad, Fahim, David, Minar and Nasim were shown fugitive accused in the charge sheet. The names of Babar and five others were included as Barkat, Rubel, Farhan and Levi named them in confessional statements to magistrates.

Uttam Kumar Biswas, assistant superintendent of police of the CID and also the investigation officer (IO), on March 3, submitted the charge sheet to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court of Dhaka. The IO appealed to the court to exonerate 10 others earlier arrested in connection with the case, as they were not found to be involved in the money laundering.