DHAKA: A Dhaka court on Sunday accepted the charge sheet against BNP standing committee member Barrister Moudud Ahmed and his brother Manzur Ahmed in government house grabbing case in city’s Gulshan area.

Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge M Zahurul Haque accepted the charge sheet after the hearing from the prosecution and the defense counsel.

Moudud’s lawyer Taherul Islam Touhid confirmed the matter.

During the hearing Moudud was present before the court though his brother was not present there. So, the court issued an arrest warrant against Manzur and fixed October 22 for submitting the report on compliance. 

Earlier on May 26, investigation officer and also deputy director Harun-or-Rashid of ACC submitted a charge sheet to the CMM court against the Moudud and Manzur. 

On December 17, 2013, Harun-or-Rashid filed the case against the two brothers on charge of grabbing the government house worth about Tk 300 crore. 

According to the statement, on August 14, 1960, RAJUK (the then DIT) handed over a plot of one bigha and 13 katha in Gulshan residential area to a Pakistani citizen M Ehsan. 

Later, in 1965, the land was registered against his wife’s name, Inge Maria Flatz, an Austrian national. 

The plot was included in the list of abandoned houses as Ehsan and Flatz left the country before issuing ‘Ministry of Cabinet Affairs’. 

Later on August 2, 1973, Moudud allegedly prepared a fake power of attorney of Maria Flatz to grab the land and had been living in the house showing himself as a tenant of Maria Flatz. 

However, during 1978-1989, when Moudud was holding different posts as minister and deputy prime minister and prime minister, he tried to grab the house abusing his power.

Later, Moudud made a sale deal between his bother Manzur Ahmed and one Mohsin Darbar using the power of attorney of a late person. 

Though, Moudud demanded that the house is a public property, not of the government.

Manzur has been livng in London.

BDST: 2135 HRS, SEP 14, 2014