ACC summons Hasina for quizzing today

The Anti-Corruption Commission has summoned ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina for questioning today over allegations of embezzling Tk 812 crore from development projects at three major airports across the country.

Hasina fled to India on August 5 last year amid a mass uprising.

ACC officials said she has been asked to appear at the commission’s headquarters in Dhaka at 10:30am.

It also summoned Mahbub Ali, former state minister for civil aviation and tourism, and Mokammel Hossain, ex-civil aviation secretary, for interrogation.

Speaking to journalists yesterday, Akhtarul Islam, ACC deputy director and public relations officer, said letters summoning Hasina were sent to her addresses in Dhanmondi’s Sudhasadan and in Tungipara, Gopalganj. The summons was signed by ACC Deputy Director Monirul Islam.

“She has been summoned for questioning over allegations of misappropriating thousands of crores of taka over the past 15 years in the name of airport development. The charges include collusion, fraud, forgery, irregularities, and large-scale corruption,” Akhtarul said.

A senior ACC official, requesting anonymity, said failure to appear before the commission may cost Hasina the opportunity to defend herself.

Summons were also sent to the known addresses of Mahbub Ali and Mokammel Hossain in Dhaka and their respective hometowns. Mahbub Ali is behind bars while Mokammel is absconding, law enforcement sources said.

On January 27 this year, the anti-graft body filed four cases against 19 individuals, including Hasina’s former military adviser Tarique Ahmed Siddique, over alleged misappropriation of Tk 812 crore from various airport development projects in Dhaka, Chattogram, and Sylhet.

Other accused in the cases include Mohibul Haque, former civil aviation senior secretary, who is in jail, and M Mofidur Rahman, ex-chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh .