The High Court on Tuesday issued a rule seeking explanation on why Fatema Khatun, a staffer suspended over a case of document forgery in the Prime Minister’s Office, should not get bail.
The bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Sardar Md Rashed Jahangir issued the rule during a hearing on the defendant’s bail petition.
Advocate Momatajuddin Ahmed represented the defendant during the hearing.
Defendant’s advocate prayed for bail mentioning Fatema Khatun’s health condition worsening after staying a year in jail.
The High Court disagreed to grant bail to Fatema for bringing disrepute to PMO’s image and rather agreed to issue a rule.
Also read: DU teacher’s termination: HC questions legality of action
On May 5, 2020, PM office director-7 Md. Rafiqul Alam filed a case against three individuals.
Later police submitted charge sheet of the case accusing six people including Fatema Khatun and Chhatra League central committee leader Tariqul Islam.
Others accused in the case are Nazim Uddin, Rubel, Farhad Hossain, a student of North South University, and former treasurer of Bangladesh University of Professionals , retired air commodore M Abdus Salam Azad.
The accused were working to have Abdus Salam Azad appointed to the post of treasurer of North South University.
According to the charge sheet, the names of the chairman of history department of NSU Professor M Enamul Haque, Professor of architecture department of BUET Md Abdur Rauf, and M Abdus Salam Azad were put forward in an Education Ministry document, from which one was to be chosen for the post of NSU treasurer by the PM.
Also read: HC rejects writ challenging gazette on Papul’s MP post
Working as the office assistant at PMO, Fatema got the document in hand after the PM made her choice and disclosed the confidential information that Abdus Salam had not been chosen to BCL leader Tariqul.
On March 1, the same year Fatema handed over the document to accused Farhad for Tk 20,000.
Later, the accused tampered with the document to showing M Abdus Salam Azad approved for the post, and had it sent to the president’s office from the PMO for final approval, said the charge sheet.