Ex-army chief gets bail in MiG-29 case

Dhaka, May 28 (bdnews24.com)—A Dhaka court granted bail Wednesday to former army chief retired general Mustafizur Rahman, until June 2, in the MiG-29 case. Dhaka divisional special judge Golam Mortuza Mojumdar presided over the bail hearing at the special courtroom set up at the Sangsad Bhaban complex, and set June 2 for charge framing proceedings to begin. The court also ordered authorities to allow lawyers for former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, also accused in the case, a five-hour time slot to meet their client at the special jail and discuss the case. All the accused in the case, including Hasina, were present in court on Wednesday. The court issued an arrest warrant against the former army chief on May 20. Police arrested Mustafiz on May 25 from the hospital where he was undergoing medical treatment. The now defunct Bureau of Anticorruption filed the case with Tejgaon Police Station in 2001 against seven people, accusing them of causing the state losses of Tk 700 crore by purchasing eight MiG-29 warplanes during Hasina's term as prime minister. A charge sheet was submitted on Jan 29, 2003, against Hasina and the others, but the High Court stayed the case proceedings the same year following an petition by Hasina. The other accused in the case are former air chief Jamaluddin Ahmed, former defence secretary Syed Yusuf Hossain, former joint secretary of the defence ministry Mohammad Hossain Sherniyabat, retired air commodore Mirza Akhter Maruf and Unique Group proprietor Noor Ali. bdnews24.com/pc/ff/mi/su/wz/rah/1252 hours