A Dhaka court sent Amber Group Chairman Showkat Aziz Russell to prison after he surrendered in connection with a corruption case involving irregularities in plot allocations under the Purbachal Residential Project, following his conviction on 13 October.
Judge Md Abdus Salam of Special Judge Court-9 passed the order after rejecting Russell’s bail petition, Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Public Prosecutor Khandaker Shamim Hossen told reporters.
14-year sentence
On 13 October, the court sentenced Russell, Partex Group Managing Director Ashfaq Aziz Rubel, and six former Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) officials to 14 years’ imprisonment each in their absence.
The court also issued conviction warrants against all eight accused, as none was present when the verdict was delivered.
According to the judgment, Russell and Rubel – sons of Partex Group founder MA Hashem – were each sentenced to seven years in prison alongside a fine of Tk10 lakh for abetting criminal misconduct.
They received an additional seven-year prison term and a Tk10 lakh fine each for abetting criminal breach of trust.
The six former Rajuk officials convicted in the case are former chairman Iqbal Uddin Choudhury and former members SD Foyej, AKM Wahedul Islam, SM Jafar Ullah, HM Jahurul Haque, and Rezaul Karim Tarafdar.
Each of the six former officials was sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment and fined Tk10 lakh for criminal misconduct, as well as another seven years in prison and a fine of Tk10 lakh for criminal breach of trust.
The judgment specified that the convicts would have to serve an additional year in prison for every Tk10 lakh in unpaid fines. All sentences will run concurrently, and any period already spent in custody by the accused will be deducted from their overall prison terms.
Moreover, the court ordered the cancellation of the plot allotments to Russell and Rubel — who also serves as president of the Bangladesh Textile Mills Association — and directed the confiscation of the land in favour of the state.
Illegal allocation
According to case documents, Russell and Rubel had each deposited Tk1.5 lakh as security for a 10-katha plot under the Purbachal project. After failing to secure plots in the first phase, they withdrew their deposits in December 2003, effectively cancelling their applications.
Neither brother submitted a fresh application thereafter.
However, in June 2004, Rajuk allotted them two 10-katha plots, totalling 20 kathas, against the cancelled applications without any recommendation from the selection committee.
To favour the applicants, a Rajuk board meeting unlawfully decided that the plots could be allotted if they repaid their withdrawn deposits with 17 per cent interest.
Case details noted that this decision amounted to an abuse of power and deprived eligible applicants of their rightful opportunities.
The legal proceedings initiated on 8 February 2017, when ACC assistant director Sylvia Ferdous filed the case with Motijheel Police Station.
ACC deputy director Mirza Zahidul Alam submitted the charge sheet against the eight accused on 4 September 2018, and the court framed charges against them on 26 August 2019. A total of nine witnesses testified during the trial.
