The Anti-Corruption Commission on Wednesday arrested former secretary of the Bridges Division Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan and Superintendent Engineer of Bangladesh Bridge Authority Kazi Mohammad Ferdous in the capital for their alleged link with Padma bridge graft.
A team of the anti-graft body arrested them at Shahbagh around 1:00pm, Pronob Mukharjee, public relation officer of the ACC told The Daily Star.
The arrest was made eight days after the ACC filed a case against seven persons, including Mosharraf for conspiring to commit bribery in the Padma bridge project.
The anti-graft body however did not include in the case former communications minister Syed Abul Hossain and former state minister for foreign affairs Abul Hasan Chowdhury.
On December 17, the ACC filed the case with Banani Police Station.
The other accused are: Executive Engineer of Roads and Highway Department Reaz Ahmed Zaber; Deputy Managing Director of Engineering and Planning Consultant, a local agent Canadian firm SNC Lavalin, Mohammad Mostofa; and SNC Lavalin officials Mohammad Ismail, Ramesh Shah and Kevin Wales.
Earlier on Wednesday, Mosharraf and Kazi Ferdous appeared before a High Court bench seeking anticipatory bail in the case.
But rejecting their bail petitions, the vacation bench of HC comprising Justice Kazi Md Rezaul Haque and Justice Kazi Md Ezharul Haque Akondo asked them to submit the petitions to a regular HC bench after the vacation.
The court will reopen on January 2 next year.
ACC lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan told The Daily Star that a team of ACC and police jointly arrested Mossarraf and Kazi Ferdous at Shahbagh after they left the HC premises.
Khurshid also said the duo cannot submit the bail petitions to the HC as they are now arrested in connection with the case.
They will have to submit bail petitions to magistrate court concerned, he further added.
Meanwhile, ACC director Tahidul Islam said the duo is being interrogated at the office of the graft watchdog at Shegunbagicha.
After interrogation, they will be sent to the Shahbagh Police Station for night stay, the director told a press briefing at the ACC office.
The arrestees will be produced before a court seeking remand on Thursday, he added.
The WB cancelled its $1.2 billion funding on June 29 this year, saying it had proof of a “corruption conspiracy” involving Bangladeshi officials, executives of a Canadian firm and some individuals.
The global lender on September 21 decided to revive the loan after the Bangladesh government agreed to the WB’s terms and conditions.
Source:The Daily Star
