Dhaka, Nov 6 (bdnews24.com) – A Dhaka court was moved on Tuesday for issuance of a decree against former caretaker government Advisor MA Matin and former Secretary Sheikh AK Motahar Hossain for not complying with a court order that had asked them to pay Tk 250 million as compensation to a Chittagong-based contractor.
Shahadat Hossain Selim, proprietor of a berth operator venture Everest Enterprise, filed the case with the Second Joint District Judge's Court seeking issuance of an order to freeze their movable and immovable properties and realise the compensation by selling the properties through auction, said his counsel Advocate Kamran Khan.
He said Judge Mohammad Iftekhar Bin Aziz took cognisance of the petition.
On Nov 3 last year, Judge Mohammad Mohsinul Haque of the Second Joint District Judge's Court in Dhaka had directed the former shipping Advisor Matin and former Secretary Motahar to give Tk 250 million as compensation for ignoring the lowest bidder in a container handling job at the Chittagong port in 2008 in breach of rules.
The court also asked the duo to pay the cost the plaintiff incurred in running the court case. If needed, property of the defendants would have to be confiscated for sale to cover the compensation amount. If the cost is still not adequately covered with that amount, the plaintiff could urge the court to keep them behind bars, according to the order.
Selim had filed a lawsuit with the Court of Joint Metropolitan Sessions Judge (1st Court), Dhaka against the duo on Sep 1, 2009 after the Tender Evaluation Committee 'illegally' dropped his company, the lowest bidder, from the bidding process on Nov 20, 2008.
The plaintiff alleged that the two officials dropped his company without showing any cogent reasons, and thus caused a loss of Tk 250 million to his firm.
During the last army-backed caretaker government, Matin was also the Chairman of the National Coordination Committee to prevent grievous crimes.
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