HC issues rule on question of increasing DIG Mizan’s sentence

The High Court (HC) has issued a rule upon the government to explain as to why it should not be directed to increase the sentence of suspended Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Mizanur Rahman in a bribery case.

A High Court division bench comprising Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Kazi Mohammad Izarul Haque Akand issued the rule on Monday (April 18).

Lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan stood for the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) while Deputy Attorney General AKM Amin Uddin Manik represented the state in the court.

Khurshid Alam Khan said the HC has issued a rule upon the government to explain as to why it should not be directed to increase the sentence of suspended Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Mizanur Rahman to seven years from three years in a bribery case according to section 5(2) in the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Earlier, the ACC appealed to the court to increase the DIG Mizan’s sentence in the bribery case.

On February 23, Dhaka Special Judge Court-4 Sheikh Nazmul Alam sentenced Mizanur Rahman and suspended ACC director Khandaker Enamul Basir to three and eight years in jail, respectively in the case.

The corruption case dates back to June 24, 2019, when ACC director Manjur Morshed lodged a complaint against the disgraced DIG, his wife Sohelia Anar Ratna, nephew sub-inspector Mahmudul Hasan and younger brother Mahbubur Rahman.

According to the case statement, Mizan accumulated wealth worth Tk 3.28 crore beyond his known sources of income. On the other hand, he had declared wealth worth Tk3.7 crore in his tax statement.

Then director of ACC, Basir, was made the investigating officer in the case.

During the probe, Mizan had accused Basir of demanding Tk40 lakh as bribe for setting the case, prompting the Commission to appoint director Monjur Morshed as the investigating officer in the case.

At the same time, a three-member probe body was formed, led by ACC director Sheikh Mohammad Fanafillah, to look into the allegations of bribery.

On July 16, 2019, Fanafillah lodged a complaint against both Mizan and Basir. And on April 16, 2020, a Dhaka court indicted the two and directed the official beginning of the trial in the case.