BNP leader Khandaker Mosharraf, his son face graft charges

A Dhaka court today framed charges against BNP leader and former health minister Dr Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain and two others in a case filed for misappropriation of over Tk 48 lakh from government’s fund, abuse of power, and fraud.

The two other accused in the case were Khandaker Mosharraf’s son Khandaker Mahbub Hossain, and former line director of the health ministry Dr Mahbubur Rahman.

The trio, now on bail, pleaded not guilty and demanded justice after Judge Md Ataur Rahman of the Special Judge Court-1 of Dhaka read out the charges to them in their presence today.

The court fixed August 19 to start trial of the case.

Mohammad Lutfor Rahman, the then ACC Deputy Assistant Director, filed the case against them with Gulshan Police Station on September 1, 2008.

According to the prosecution, it was alleged that Mahbub misappropriated Tk 48,51,080 from a government fund in the name of supplying return tickets of Biman Bangladesh Airlines for officials for a project run by the World Bank and the health ministry.

The accused used names of fake organisations, fake letterhead pads, names of officials with fake designations and their signatures for withdrawing the amount, the case statement said.

Mahbub also abused power of his father, who was then the health minister, the case statement also said.

Dr Mahbubur Rahman helped Khandaker Mahbub in the forgery, it added.

Mostafizur Rahman, assistant director of the ACC, submitted the charge sheet against them on April 12, 2017.