The High Court on Monday directed Jatiya Party leader and former state minister ABM Ruhul Amin Howlader to surrender in a trial court within two weeks in a corruption case filed by former bureau of anti-corruption (BAC) on charge of embezzling Tk 3.15 million.
The High Court bench of Justice Md Nazrul Isalm Talukder and Justice Khizir Hayat passed the order after hearing a revision petition filed by the ACC against a trial court order that acquitted Ruhul Amin Howlader from the charge brought against him.
Md Delwar Hossain, an Assistant Director of the then bureau of anti-corruption (BAC) filed the case with Tejgaon Police Station on November 19 in 1991 against Ruhul Amin Howlader on charge of embezzling Tk 3.15 million.
The reported embezzlement took place during the regime of HM Ershad's Jatiya Party government, when Howlader was state minister for Textiles, according to the case documents.
A Special Court in Dhaka on January 21 in 2021 acquitted Mr Howlader from the charge brought against him by the anti-graft watchdog. Later the ACC filed a revision petition with the High Court against the special court order. After hearing the revision petition the High Court on Monday passed the order.
As per rules of the Bangladesh Textile Mills Corporation, any work above Tk 20,000 should be done through open tender. But Mr Hawladar, using his own influence without any tender, gave a work order of Tk 3.16 million to Messrs Charuta Pvt Limited for establishing a textile emporium.
Lawyer AKM Fazlul Hoque appeared in the court hearing on behalf of the ACC, while Deputy Attorney General AKM Amin Uddin Manik represented the state.
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