Embezzling Zakat Fund: Hearing on charge framing against Sayedee on Jan 11

A Dhaka court yesterday fixed January 11 for hearing on charge framing in a case filed against Jamaat-e-Islami leader Delwar Hossain Sayedee and five others for embezzling Tk 1.27 crore from Islamic Foundation's Zakat Fund.

Judge Sayeda Hosneara of the Special Judge's Court-1 of Dhaka passed the order after a time petition was filed with the court by them, Muzahedul Islam Shahin, a defence lawyer, confirmed to The Daily Star.

In the petition, the defence mentioned that they were yet to get some papers which were necessary for the hearing on charge framing.

ACC Public Prosecutor Mosharraf Hossain Kajol told the court that the case was filed against the accused 10 years ago. The petition was filed to delay the trial proceedings, he said.

During yesterday's hearing, Sayedee, who was earlier convicted for life until death for crimes against humanity during the Liberation War in 1971, was produced before the makeshift court at Alia Madrasa in Bakshibazar of Old Dhaka.

The other five accused are: Mohammad Lutful Haque, former director of Islamic Foundation; Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, former chairman of Mosque Council for Community Advancement; Mia Mohammad Yunus, chief secretary of Bandhujan Parishad; Tofazzal Hossain, former president of Islamic Social Welfare Center; and Md Abdul Haq, assistant director of Islamic Foundation's Mosque Council.

Among the five, four are now on bail, while Abul Kalam Azad is on the run, according to sources.

Islamic Foundation's finance and accounting director Aiyub Ali Chowdhury filed the case with the capital's Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station on May 24, 2010.

Wajed Ali Gazi, an assistant director of the Anti-Corruption Commission, filed the charge sheet in the case on April 30, 2012.