Dhaka, May 13 (bdnews24.com)—Sentenced to 13 years in jail in a wealth concealment case fugitive Dr AZM Zahid Hossain, former leader of pro-BNP Doctors' Association of Bangladesh surrendered at the Special Judge's Court-6 at 11:30am on Wednesday.
Judge Tanjina Ismail of the court subsequently ordered the former president of Bangladesh Medical Association to be sent to jail as there is no jurisdiction to grant bail for a convict in the concealing wealth information case.
The same court on May 25, 2008 had Hossain and his wife, Rifat, convicted them of suppression of information of assets and handed down the sentence. His wife was jailed for 3 years on the same charges.
Barrister Badruzzaman, counsel for Hossain, told bdnews24.com the Anticorruption Commission filed the case with Ramna Police Station on Oct 3, 2007.
The case details said the accused in their wealth statements had concealed information regarding movable property worth Tk 4 lakh, immovable assets worth Tk 50 lakh, other assets worth Tk 3.10 crore. There were inconsistencies with assets valued at Tk 3.48 crore, he added.
"These accusations were baseless."
During the BNP-led alliance regime, Hossain allegedly used to intervene directly in a number of health ministry businesses.
He had left for Australia as after emergency was declared on Jan 11, 2007.
Since the High Court on May 3 ordered the absconding 'VIP convicts' to surrender in the trial court in two weeks, former communications minister Anwar Hossain Manju, former foreign minister M Morshed Khan, former state minister for law Shahjahan Omar, ex-MP Rashiduzzaman Millat have surrendered.
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