Clockwise from top left: Mofazzal Hossain Maya, Mokbul Hossain, Haji Selim and HBM IqbalFive former Awami League (AL) lawmakers and the Jatiya Party (Manju) chief appeared before the court for bail yesterday, but only godfather HBM Iqbal was granted bail, although all were convicted of similar graft offences.
The High Court bench of Justice Mir Hasmat Ali and Justice Shamim Hasnain stayed the 13 years' jail term of Iqbal and granted him bail for two months.
But the HC bench of Justice Muzammel Hossain and Justice Afzal Hossain Ahmed refused to entertain separate bail petitions submitted by Jatiya Party (Manju) Chairman Anwar Hossain Manju, former AL lawmakers Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya, Mokbul Hossain, Haji Selim and Mohammad Mohiuddin of Munshiganj.
However, the HC bench of Justice Syed AB Mahmudul Huq and Justice Mayeenul Islam Chowdhury later accepted for hearing the bail petitions of Manju, Mokbul and his son Masud Hossain, Selim and Mohiuddin.
The political figures were fugitive and convicted in separate cases filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on different charges including amassing wealth illegally and hiding wealth information.
On August 26 last year, Manju was sentenced to 13 years' rigorous imprisonment (RI) by a special court for amassing wealth illegally and concealing information in his wealth statement.
Earlier on June 10 last year, he was sentenced to seven years' RI in a bribery case, while on May 18 he was given a seven-year jail term in another bribery case. Besides, on June 26 in 2007, he was jailed for five years for possessing 21 bottles of alcohol at his Dhanmondi house in the capital.
Sources say Manju has been jailed for total 28 years in four separate cases. He has filed four bail petitions in the four cases against him.
Maya, former state minister for shipping, was jailed for 13 years for the same count of corruption on February 14 last year.
Mohiuddin was sentenced to 10 years' rigorous imprisonment and one year's simple imprisonment for the same offences on July 10 last year. He was jailed for eight years by a special court on August 7 last year for evading taxes.
Mokbul and Selim were also handed down different jail terms in separate graft cases.
Sources say the convicted leaders, who were abroad since the 1/11 changeover, have recently returned home following the political government's takeover.
A lawyer says there is no legal bar for the law enforcers to arrest the convicted leaders as they were not granted bail.
Counsel for the AL leaders Advocate Syed Ahmed Raja said hearing of the bail petitions may be held today.
Raja added he would move the petition for bail to Maya before the bench of Justice Syed AB Mahmudul Huq and Justice Mayeenul Islam Chowdhury.
Meantime, rumours were rife yesterday that AL leaders Abul Hasnat Abdullah and Shamim Osman might appear before the court for bail, but they didn't show up.
