Shahhed and former health DG escape graft testimony as court stalls
Testimony in a graft case against Regent Hospital chairman Md Shahhed and former health director general Mohammad Abul Kalam Azad was adjourned today. Meanwhile, the accused and his lawyer were witnessed eating biryani together inside the courtroom.
Proceedings in a corruption case involving former Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) Director General Professor Mohammad Abul Kalam Azad and Regent Hospital Chairman Md Shahhed Karim, alongside four others, experienced a significant delay on Wednesday. The scheduled testimony session could not proceed as planned before the Dhaka Special Judge Court-6, leaving the crucial judicial proceedings pending for another month.
During the court proceedings, the scheduled witnesses failed to appear before the bench. In response to the absence of the witnesses, Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Prosecutor Md Nure Alam formally submitted a petition seeking an extension of time from the judiciary to ensure the proper presence of witnesses for the prosecution's case.
Taking cognizance of the prosecution's time-extension petition, Judge Md Zakaria Hossain of the Dhaka Special Judge Court-6 granted the adjournment. The presiding judge subsequently fixed October 4 as the new date for the much-anticipated recording of witness testimonies in the high-profile corruption matter.
An unusual incident unfolded inside the courtroom during the recess of the judicial proceedings. In the physical absence of the presiding judge, accused Regent Hospital Chairman Md Shahhed and his defense lawyer were spotted sitting together inside the courtroom premises and consuming biryani.
The legal proceedings originate from an anti-corruption investigation initiated nearly three years ago. On September 23, 2020, Farid Ahmed Patwary, who served as the deputy director of the Anti-Corruption Commission's Dhaka Integrated District Office-1, officially filed the corruption case against the group of six individuals.
