The HC bench of Justice Bhabani Prasad Singha and Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam came up with the observation in the full verdict on an appeal filed by former Communications Minister Nazmul Huda and his wife Sigma Huda in a bribery case.
The full text of the 67-page judgment was released on Sunday and later it published on the website of the Supreme Court.
After rehearing a petition filed by the couple, the High Court on November 8 last year commuted Nazmul Huda’s seven years’ imprisonment to four years in the graft case.
It also asked him to surrender before the trial court within 45 days after a copy of the verdict reaches the trial court.
At the same time, the court said the jail term which Nazmul Huda’s wife Sigma Huda, who was awarded three years’ imprisonment in the case, has already served would be considered as her punishment.
Now, Nazmul Huda must surrender before the lower court within 45 days after a copy of the verdict reaches the court.
On August 27, 2007, a Special Judge’s Court sentenced the former BNP minister to seven years’ imprisonment while his wife to three years’ imprisonment in the case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). It also fined Nazmul Huda Tk 2.5 crore.
However, the High Court on March 20, 2011 acquitted them from the charge and later the Appellate Division on December 1, 2014 scrapped the HC verdict and asked for hearing the petition again.
ACC Deputy Director Shariful Islam filed the case against Barrister Nazmul Huda and his wife Sigma Huda on March 21, 2007 on charge of taking Tk 2.40 crore as bribe from a person named Mir Jaher Hossain.