In default, the minister of the immediate past BNP-led alliance government will have to suffer another one year in jail.

Aman's wife Sabera Aman was also sentenced to three years' imprisonment as she was found guilty of abetting her husband in acquiring wealth through dishonest means.

The court also directed the government to confiscate their wealth worth over Tk 9 crore, which is disproportionate to the known sources of income of the former state minister for labour and employment and his wife.

Special Court-1 Judge Firoz Alam delivered the verdict yesterday afternoon in a packed courtroom set up in the MP Hostel in the national parliament complex.

Prosecution lawyers told The Daily Star that Aman will have to serve in jail for 13 years as the conviction would be implemented consecutively, not concurrently.

A defence lawyer, however, said they are not sure about the nature of implementation of the conviction. "It would be clear after we get the copy of the verdict," said advocate SM Shajahan, one of Aman's counsels.

"I have already received instructions from my client [Aman] to prepare an appeal to be filed with the High Court against the judgment," he said.

Aman and Sabera were both present in the court when the judge pronounced the verdict. Aman was standing in the dock while Sabera was sitting in a wheel chair in front of the dock since she was ill. Earlier, the police brought the two to the court.

Judge Firoz started reading out the verdict at 2:30pm after examining the investigation report, depositions of 23 witnesses and statements of the two accused, and arguments of the prosecution and the defence. The verdict took around half an hour to complete.

On February 18, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) asked 50 corruption suspects, including Aman, to submit their wealth statements. Aman, who had been detained on February 4 by the joint forces, submitted his wealth statement through representatives.

On March 6, ACC Deputy Director Abdullah Al Zahid filed the graft case with Kafrul Police Station alleging that there is a wide discrepancy between the incomes and expenditures of the former BNP lawmaker from Keraniganj.

Aman acquired properties, including houses and vehicles, valued over Tk 8.28 crore and he made the huge wealth through misuse of power and bribery, it said.

The ACC deputy director also accused Sabera of providing false information in her statement submitted to the ACC.

On April 29, ACC deputy directors Abdullah Al Zahid and Jibon Krishna Roy, investigation officers of the case, submitted the charge sheet to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's (CMM) Court, Dhaka.

In the charge sheet, they said Aman and Sabera acquired properties, including house and vehicles, valued over Tk 10 crore. The value was shown Tk 8.28 crore in the FIR. The charge sheet accused Aman of abusing power and taking bribes and Sabera of giving false information in her statement.

The CMM court sent the case to the Special Court on May 6 for quick disposal.

The Special Court framed charges against Aman and Sabera on May 16. Earlier on May 10, the court ordered to send Sabera in jail when she appeared before the court in a hearing of the case.

After deposition of statements by Aman and Sabera on June 7 the court had fixed yesterday for delivering the judgment.

Prosecution lawyers including Mahbub Ahmed and Mir Ahmed Ali Salam were present to receive the judgment.

Expressing satisfaction over the verdict, the prosecution lawyers told the media that Aman has been convicted for three years' imprisonment under section 26(2) of the ACC Act that says if any person submits any written statement or provides any information that is false or baseless, then that person will be sentenced to a prison term of up to three years or a fine or both.

Aman has been sentenced to 10 years' rigorous imprisonment under section 27 of the ACC Act according to which a person would be convicted if he or she is found to have acquired wealth through dishonest means.

Sabera has been convicted under section 109 of the Penal Code for abetting her husband in committing the offences.

The conviction will be effective with the pronouncement of the verdict.

An ACC official said Aman's total wealth is valued over Tk 9.94 crore while according to his wealth statement submitted to the ACC his legal wealth is worth Tk 1.28 crore.

Aman's wealth to be confiscated includes four houses in Gulshan, Banani and Keraniganj, 36 flats in the capital, 80 bighas of land in Savar and plots worth 660 decimals of land at other places.