HC wants info on ACC steps against 17 CBA leaders

The High Court yesterday wanted to know what steps have been taken against 17 CBA leaders of Biman Bangladesh Airlines after the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) had issued notice asking them to appear before its office in connection with corruption allegations in 2014.

The court asked ACC to submit a report on the steps taken against 17 Collective Bargaining Agency to it in seven days.

The HC bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Mohi Uddin Shamim came up with the order during hearing a pending writ petition filed by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB) in 2014, seeking necessary order on ACC to interrogate the CBA leaders.

ACC had issued a notice on January 12, 2014 asking the CBA leaders to appear before it on January 17, 2014 for questioning them over the allegation of corruption, petitioner's lawyer Manzill Murshid told the HC.

But they refused to appear before the ACC office, he said. Following the media reports on it, HRPB filed the petition.

The 17 CBA leaders include Md Mosikur Rahman, Azhaul Imam Majumder, Anwar Hossain, Md Yunus Khan, Md Montasar Rahman, Md Rubel Chowdhury, Md Rafiqul Alam, Md Atiqur Rahman, Md Harun Or Rashid, Abdul Bari, Md Firozul Islam, Md Abdus Sobhan, Golam Kaiser Ahmed, Md Abdul Zabbar and Md Abdul Aziz.

Following the petition, the HC on February 10, 2014 issued a rule upon ACC to explain why its inaction to quiz the CBA leaders should not be declared illegal. 

ACC is yet to take any action against them after the HC issued the rule, Murshid told the HC bench.

Lawyer MA Aziz Khan appeared for ACC while Deputy Attorney General AKM Amin Uddin Manik represented the state during hearing.