Former energy secretary Toufique-e-Elahi sent to jail

Dhaka, Jan 16 (bdprem.com)—Former energy secretary Toufique-e-Elahi Chowdhury surrendered to a Dhaka court Wednesday, being accused in a graft case involving the setting up of three barge-mounted power plants. Your Ad Here The Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge's Court ordered the accused to be sent to jail, after hearing his plea for bail. Judge Md Azizul Haque granted the accused first class division in jail. The Anticorruption Commission filed the case with Tejgaon Police Station on Sept 2, 2007, against eight people including former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and the former energy secretary. According to case details, the Power Development Board floated international tenders on Oct 24, 1996 for installation of three barge-mounted plants in Haripur, Shikalbaha and Khulna. During Sheikh Hasina's tenure as prime minister, two private firms—Summit Group and United Group—were allegedly awarded the contracts through irregular means during the period Oct 24, 1996 to Nov 24, 1997, depriving the lowest bidders. Hasina is accused of accepting a house in Dhanmondi and a plot of land registered in the name of the Bangabandhu Memorial Trust from the Summit and United Groups in exchange for the contracts. The former energy secretary's surrender follows the issuing of seven arrest warrants Monday by the Dhaka metropolitan senior special judge. Azizul issued the arrest orders after receiving a chargesheet from the CMM's Court for the trial of the case. The judge had also asked the authorities of Dhaka Central Jail to produce Hasina in court on Jan 16. The six accused who remain at large are former Power Development Board chairman Noor Uddin Mahmud Kamal, former Summit managing director Mohammad Aziz Khan and its director Mohammad Farid Khan, United Group chairman Hasan Mahmud Raja and its director Abul Kalam Azad and Bangabandhu Memorial Museum curator Syed Siddiqur Rahman. The original FIR did not name Syed Siddiq. A total of 56 people have been named witnesses in the case filed on Sept 2 by the ACC. The ACC approved the chargesheet in the case on Jan 10.