Ex-ACC director Basir gets bail in bribery case

The High Court (HC) on Tuesday (23 August) granted bail to former Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) director Khandakar Enamul Basir in a bribery case for which he was sentenced to eight years in jail by a trial court.

After hearing his bail plea, the bench of Justice Md Ashraful Kamal passed the order.

On 23 February, a Dhaka court sentenced Enamul Basir to a total of eight years in two separate sections (five years and three years). At the same time, he was fined Tk80 lakh.

In the same case, sacked Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Mizanur Rahman was sentenced to three years of prison in one section.

Earlier on 13 April Enamul Basir filed an appeal with the High Court against the trial court's verdict. That day, the High Court accepted his appeal for a hearing. The court suspended the fine of Tk80 lakh.

Advocate Farooq Alamgir Chowdhury on behalf of Enamul Basir and Khurshid Alam Khan and Chowdhury Nasima on behalf of ACC moved in the hearing in court.

Basir's lawyer Farooq Alamgir said that there is no legal bar to Basir's release from jail as there is no other case, for now.

It was alleged in the case that Basir took a bribe of Tk40 lakh from the then DIG Mizanur to save him from the ACC case.

On 16 July, 2019, ACC director Sheikh Fanafillya filed a case against both of them as evidence of allegations were found in the investigation.

It is said in the complaint that Basir misused his power while he was in charge of the commission for dishonest purposes in hopes for financial gain. He took a bribe of Tk 40 lakh from Mizanur to get illegal opportunities. Through this, he has committed an offense under the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Money Laundering Act.