Two ex-land officials jailed over graft

A Dhaka court yesterday sentenced two former officials of land record and survey department to jail in a decade-old graft case.

The convicts are Ashraf Ali Howlader, former settlement officer, and Monirul Islam, former surveyor, of land office in Tejgaon.

Ashraf was given five years and fined Tk 50,000 while Monirul two years and fined Tk 30,000. Each would have to serve nine more months if they do not pay the fine.

Sheikh Hafizur Rahman, judge of Dhaka Special Judge Court-9, handed down the sentence in presence of Ashraf at the courtroom.

The punishment of fugitive Monirul will start from the day of his arrest or surrender, read the judgement.

Abdul Hakim and Nurunnabi Firoze, two more accused in the case, died during the trial.

The court cross-examined seven prosecution witnesses before delivering its verdict.

According to the case statement, one Swarna Khan bought 3.5 decimals of land in the capital's Dakshinkhan area in 1987.

In 2007, then settlement officer Ashraf, in collusion with another accused, ordered to record her property in the name of Nurunnabi Firoze.

Following the incident, Swarna challenged the record with the higher court and won the legal battle.

On September 8, 2011, the Anti-Corruption Commission filed a case against Asharaf and three others with Tejgaon Police Station.

After an investigation, the ACC pressed charges against them on December 29, 2012.