Verdict in graft case against BNP’s Mirza Abbas deferred for third time

The verdict in the Anti-Corruption Commission's graft case against BNP leader Mirza Abbas has been deferred for the third time.

Judge Manjurul Imam of Dhaka's No. 6 Special Judges Court was scheduled to issue a ruling on Thursday. However, the verdict was postponed to Jan 24 as the judge could not finalise the judgment in time, according to ACC lawyer Mahmud Hossain Jahangir.

The announcement of the verdict was initially slated for Nov 30, but the date was rescheduled to Dec 12 as the judge had not prepared the verdict, citing a "lack of time" following his father's hospitalisation.

Abbas, a member of the BNP Standing Committee, was accused of amassing over Tk 75 million beyond his known income sources and failing to disclose assets worth more than Tk 5.73 million in the case started by the anti-graft agency in 2007.

Following an investigation, the BNP leader was charged with acquiring illegal wealth of Tk 42.3 million and concealing assets worth Tk 2.2 million. The trial began in 2008, and the court recorded the testimonies of 24 witnesses during the proceedings.