Awami League leader Suranjit's former aide found guilty of corruption

A Dhaka court has convicted an aide to former railways minister Suranjit Sengupta for acquiring wealth beyond known income sources.

Md Omar Faruq Talukder, who was the assistant personal secretary to the minister, has been given a five-year jail term and fined Tk 12.3 million.

On Sunday, the court of Dhaka's Special Judge Mohammad Ataur Rahman delivered the verdict in the case filed by the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC).

Faruq was on the docks when the verdict was delivered.

ACC spokesperson said that the court has also ordered seizure of an apartment owned by Faruk at Dhaka's Mohammadpur.

Faruq will have to spend another two and half years in prison, if he fails to pay the fine, said ACC Deputy Director Pranab Kumar Bhattacharya.

Faruq was out on bail, but was taken to the jail after the verdict, said defence counsel Purnendu Debnath.

On the night of Apr 9, 2012, law-enforcers stopped Faruq's car at capital's Dhanmondi near the entrance of BGB headquarters.

According to media reports, he was in possession of Tk 7 million. Bangladesh Railway's then general manager Yousuf Ali Mridha and railway police's then commandant Enamul Haque were also in the car.   

Both of them were later sacked.

The news triggered widespread criticism, after which Suranjit was removed from the ministry and retained as minister without a portfolio.

ACC investigations revealed that Faruq acquired assets worth Tk 10.3 million beyond his known sources of income.

In August the same year, the ACC filed a case against him. Three months later, on Nov 27,  Faruq surrendered in court, a day after ACC pressed charges on him.