A Dhaka court has rejected bail for economist Prof Abul Barkat in the murder case of businessman Abdul Wadud, who was killed during last year’s July Uprising.
He was shown arrested in the case on the same day he secured bail in a separate corruption case.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Kamal Uddin turned down the bail plea on Monday, state lawyer Md Shamsuddoha Sumon said.
Barakat was shown arrested in the case on Sunday, after which his lawyer filed for bail and the court scheduled the hearing for Monday.
Appearing for Barkat, lawyer Babul Mia told the court that the economist had been granted bail by the Appellate Division on Jun 7 in a case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), on condition that he submit his passport to the court.
“Just before his release from jail, he was shown arrested in this [murder] case. We don’t know why he was shown arrested in this case, or what connection he has to the incident,” the lawyer added.
Another lawyer for Barakat, Sara Hossain, argued that he is sick and elderly. “We are seeking bail on the grounds of his illness and age. Given the kind of person he is, there’s no way he could be linked to or involved in this incident. There is no specific allegation against him.”
Opposing the bail plea, the state prosecutor told the court that the investigating officer had found Barkat’s involvement during the probe.
“He has laundered billions of taka out of the country and extended every kind of support to keep Sheikh Hasina in power. He has been arrested over his involvement in this case, and we oppose his bail,” Sumon said. Police arrested the former Janata Bank chairman from his house on Road No 3 in Dhanmondi on the night of Jul 10.
He was sent to jail the next day over the alleged embezzlement of a Tk 2.97 billion loan taken out in the name of AnonTex Group from Janata Bank through fraud, before being granted bail in that case by the Appellate Division.
Despite getting bail, the former Dhaka University professor was not released from jail, as Detective Branch (DB) police applied the same day to show him arrested in the Wadud murder case.�"bdnews24
