Indictment hearing against Tulip Siddiq deferred to 1 September

A Dhaka court has deferred until 1 September the hearing on
framing charges against Tulip Rizwana Siddiq, daughter of Sheikh Rehana, and
former Rajuk assistant law adviser Sardar Mosharraf Hossain in a case over the
alleged fraudulent acquisition of a flat in Gulshan 2.
The order was passed today (28
June) by Judge Mohammad Abdullah Al Mamun of Dhaka Special Judge Court-5
following a hearing, ACC counsel Mir Ahmed Ali Salam confirmed.
He said the hearing on charge
framing had been scheduled for today, but the defence for Sardar Mosharraf
Hossain, who is currently on bail, sought additional time, prompting the court
to defer the proceedings and fix 1 September as the next hearing date.
Previously, on 8 April, the case was transferred from the Dhaka Metropolitan
Senior Special Judge's Court to the Special Judge's Court-5 after it was deemed
ready for trial.
On 18 February, the court took
cognisance of the charges against Tulip and Mosharraf and issued arrest
warrants for them.
The ACC filed the case on 15 April
last year against Tulip, former Rajuk assistant law adviser Shah Md
Khasruzzaman and Mosharraf, alleging that they had illegally obtained a flat
owned by Eastern Housing Limited in Gulshan through abuse of power.
According to the case statement,
the accused, acting in collusion, took possession of and later registered the
Gulshan 2 flat, without making any payment to Eastern Housing Limited.
Following the filing of the case, Khasruzzaman filed a writ petition in the
High Court in July last year, seeking to halt the investigation against
him.
The High Court stayed the
investigation for three months. Although the ACC later appealed to the chamber
court, it received a "no order" ruling.
After completing the investigation
on 11 December, the ACC submitted the charge sheet against Tulip and Mosharraf
under various sections of the Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act.
















