The Appellate Division on Wednesday upheld a High Court Division order granting six-month interim bail to BNP MP Harunur Rashid in a case filed over abusing duty-free import facilities.
A four-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, passed a ‘no order’ on the petition filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
ACC lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan said they would file a regular leave-to-appeal petition after receiving the verdict copy.
On Tuesday, ACC filed the petition seeking a stay on Monday’s High Court order granting interim bail to Harun and staying the subordinate court’s Tk 5 million (50 lakh) fine.
Chamber Judge Justice Md Nuruzzaman sent the appeal to the regular bench fixing Wednesday for hearing, UNB reported.
Harun, an MP from Chapainawabganj-3 constituency, was sentenced to five years in jail and fined Tk 5 million (50 lakh) by a Dhaka Court on Oct 21 for abusing duty-free import privilege.
NTV Managing Director Enayetur Rahim Bappi was given two years’ jail with Tk 0.1 million (1 lakh) fine while businessman Imtiaz Sadeque got three years’ imprisonment with Tk 4 million (40 lakh) fine.
According to prosecution, Harun imported a duty-free vehicle at Tk 1. 165 million (11.65 lakh) in 2004. Later, in collusion with Imtiaz, he sold the vehicle to Enayetur for Tk 9.7 million (97 lakh).
Later, Sub-Inspector Mohammad Yunus Ali of Tejgaon Police Station filed a case against Harun and two others on March 17, 2007.
In July that year, ACC Assistant Director Monayem Hossain submitted a charge-sheet against the trio.