Mojaheed fails to surrender as deadline ends

Jamaat-e-Islami secretary general Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed did not turn himself in at the trial court on Monday, a day after the High Court deadline for surrender expired.

The failure prompted state counsels to accuse the Jamaat stalwart of showing flagrant disregard for the court by disobeying the orders.

Mojaheed appealed for bail at the High Court in Barapukuria coal mine graft case on Oct. 19 but the court rejected his appeal and asked him to surrender in two weeks to the Special Judge’s Court-2 where the trial was pending.

His lawyer told the court Mojaheed had already pleaded with the High Court for more time to surrender. Besides, another petition for staying the proceedings against him has been pending.

The special judge, Amar Kumar Roy, instructed Mojaheed’s lawyer to produce the copies of High Court orders on Nov. 10 and adjourned the day’s hearing.

The judge set Monday for hearing the case after the state counsels filed a petition to his court on Oct. 29 to issue warrant of arrest against Jamaat chief Matiur Rahman Nizami and Mojaheed.

State attorney Mosharraf Hossain Kajol told the court, “By disobeying the court orders Mujaheed has disregarded the court of law.

He appealed for warrant of arrest against the Jamaat secretary general.

Mojaheed’s lawyer Abdur Razzak urged the court not to issue the warrant as hearing on his appeal was going on in the High Court.

“It is a sub-judice matter,” said the special judge amid protests from the state counsels.

The counsels argued that Mojaheed did not care to turn himself in despite the High Court order. Now he showed up in the court a day after the deadline for surrender to say that he had gone to the High Court to seek extension of the no-arrest, no-harassment order and a stay on the case.

So, they said, it could not be a sub-judice matter.

The special court also fixed Nov. 10 for hearing the appeal for warrant against Nizami.

The Anticorruption Commission on Feb 26 registered the case with Shahbagh Police Station against 16, including former prime minister Khaleda Zia and 10 of her cabinet members. They were charge-sheeted on Oct. 5.

The court on Oct. 6 issued warrant of arrest against Mujaheed but police failed to detain him.

The High Court has already stayed proceedings of the case against Khaleda.

Source: Bdews24