HC rejects bail plea of Rooppur housing project scammer Shahadat

The High Court has rejected the bail plea of Md Shahadat Hossain, owner of Sazin Construction Limited, who was arrested and sent to jail last year for his alleged involvement in the Rooppur housing project scam.

The virtual court of Justice Jahangir Hossain Selim rejected his bail plea on Sunday. 

Senior lawyer Barrister Shafique Ahmed represented Shahadat in the video conference of the virtual court while lawyer AKM Fazlul Hoque represented the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). 

Meanwhile, Attorney General Mahbubey Alam and Deputy Attorney General Dr Md Basir Ullah represented the state. 

On December 12 last year, Shahadat landed in jail with 12 others in four cases filed over their alleged involvement in procurement irregularities at a housing project for Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant in Pabna.

According to a news report published in a Bangla daily stirring controversy and strong criticism especially on social media, a single pillow was bought for Tk5,957, and the cost to move that to the apartment was Tk760.

An electric stove reportedly cost Tk7,747 and the movers were paid Tk6,650 to move it upstairs from the bottom floor.

An electric kettle was bought at Tk5,313, and its moving cost was Tk2,945, and an electric iron bought at Tk4,154 was moved upstairs spending Tk2,945.
The government had launched two probe committees — one of the Public Works Department and the other of Works Ministry — on May 19 last year to investigate the matter.

On May 22, the PWD withdrew Masudul Alam, who was in charge of the housing project. He was later attached to the PWD headquarters in Dhaka.