Harun’s bail plea rejected, case documents summoned

PBC News:  High Court has rejected the bail petition of former army chief and company president former army chief Lt Gen (Retd) Harun-ar-Rashid who was jailed for four years at a lower court in a case filed against him on charges of embezzling and laundering Destiny customers’ money.

At that same time, the High Court has summoned the file of his case from the lower court.

The HC bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Kazi Md Ejarul Huque Akondo passed the order after rejecting the petition filed by former army chief Lt Gen (Retd) Harun-ar-Rashid seeking bail in the case.

Harun, who is now staying in the prisons cell of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), has filed the bail petition recently on medical grounds, Anti-Corruption Commission’s lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan said.

Lawyer Md Rabiul Alam Budu appeared for Harun during hearing the bail petition.

A Dhaka court on May 12 sentenced all 46 accused, including Destiny Group managing director Rafiqul Amin and Destiny-2000 president Lt Gen (Retd) Harun-ar-Rashid, to different terms of imprisonment in money laundering case.

Among them, Rafiqul Amin was sentenced to 12 years of imprisonment while Lt Gen (Retd) Harun-ar-Rashid to four years.

Judge Shaikh Nazmul Alam of the Special Judge’s Court-4 delivered the verdict.

The court lowered the punishment of Harun-ar-Rashid taking his contributions to the War of Liberation into consideration.

Harun was awarded 4 years’ jail sentence and fined Tk 3.5 crore, in default, he would have to face six months’ jail senetence. The four-year jail term is the lowest punishment in the Act concerned.

In his explanation about awarding Harun-ar-Rashid less sentence, the judge in his verdict said, “The charges against Harun were proved beyond any doubt. He was the Bangladesh army chief. He took part in the War of Liberation. The Bangladesh government awarded him with ‘Bir Protik’ gallantary award. He has been given the minimum jail sentence for his contrubutions to the War of Liberation.

The court in the verdict also directed to release Harun’s confiscated property and bank accounts. But, he will have to pay Tk 3.50 crore of his fine.