The Appellate Division on Wednesday (May 21) scrapped the corruption case proceedings against BNP Standing Committee member and former Housing and Public Works Minister Mirza Abbas over alleged irregularities in plot allocation.

The apex court passed the verdict after granting an appeal filed by Abbas. The bench was headed by Justice Jubaer Rahman Chowdhury.

Senior lawyers Zainul Abedin and Ruhul Quddus Kajol stood for Abbas during the hearing.

Earlier, on May 13, 2019, the High Court rejected a rule seeking cancellation of the case and lifted a stay order on the proceedings. Abbas later filed an appeal with the Appellate Division challenging that verdict.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case with Shahbagh Police Station in 2014, accusing Abbas of misappropriating Tk 15.52 crore through irregular plot allocations to journalists while he was the housing minister.

After investigation, ACC Deputy Director Hamidul Hasan submitted the charge sheet on February 11, 2015, naming Abbas and four others.

On October 20, 2017, Dhaka's Special Judge Court-4 framed charges against Abbas. He filed a criminal revision petition on December 8, 2016, seeking cancellation of the case.

On December 14 the same year, the High Court issued a rule and stayed the case for three months. That rule was rejected in 2019, leading to the appeal.

With Wednesday’s verdict, the case proceedings against Mirza Abbas have now been scrapped.

MSK/