Babar indictment order Aug 6

A Dhaka court will decide on Aug 6 whether to indict former state minister for home Lutfozzaman Babar in a tax evasion case.

The Special Judges Court-5 fixed the date after deferring the hearing several times over the past four and a half years.

Babar has been sentenced to death in the 10-truck arms haul case.

The NBR filed the tax fraud case on Feb 14, 2010 in the Dhaka's Senior Judges Court.

According to case details, Babar dodged paying Tk 26.5 million in tax between 1999-2000 and 2008-2009 tax assessment years as director of Master Electronics Limited.

He secured bail in the tax evasion case which was sent to the special court on Mar 9, 2010.

However, no hearing took place until Sunday as the defence pleaded for time, saying a petition to scrap the case was pending with the High Court.

Defence counsel TM Akbar asked for time for the last time on May 29 on the same ground. The court fixed June 29 for the hearing.

But prosecution lawyer Kabir Hossain said the High Court had not ordered a freeze on the indictment hearing.