A Chittagong court has sentenced three former officials of the Bangladesh Telephone and Telegraph Board (BTTB) to 44 years in prison for embezzling Tk 1.66 crore in a 27-year-old corruption case.
Chittagong Divisional Special Judge Md. Mizanur Rahman delivered the verdict on Monday. Because the sentences under various penal codes will run concurrently, the convicts will effectively serve a maximum of 10 years behind bars.
The convicted fugitives are former assistant-cum-cashier Mohammad Hossain, and former divisional engineers Md. Kamrul Alam and Sadiqur Rahman Khan. The court has issued arrest warrants for their capture.
Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) prosecutor Rezaul Karim Rony stated the charges were proven through the testimony of 13 witnesses. Alongside the prison terms, the court imposed heavy fines on the trio under multiple sections of the Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act.
According to court documents, the embezzlement occurred in 1994. Mohammad Hossain altered 24 BTTB cheques to withdraw an unauthorized Tk 1.66 crore, intentionally keeping the funds out of the government treasury. Investigations revealed that engineers Alam and Khan actively facilitated the fraud.
The case was originally filed at Double Mooring Police Station in October 1999. Following a lengthy investigation, the ACC submitted a charge sheet in 2013, and the trial formally began in June 2014.
