Ex-CAAB chief engineer sent on 2-day remand in Tk150cr graft case

A Dhaka court has sent Md Habibur Rahman, former chief engineer of the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB), on a two-day remand in a case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) over alleged embezzlement of Tk150 crore.

Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Md Sabbir Faiz passed the order, ACC Assistant Director (Prosecution Overall) Md Aminul Islam confirmed today (16 February).

He said ACC Assistant Director Md Saidur Rahman sought a three-day remand for the accused on 1 February.

"The court fixed 10 February for a hearing in the accused's presence. On that day, it granted a two-day remand. The investigation officer will take him into custody today for questioning," he said.

According to the remand petition, the accused, along with others named in the FIR, colluded to embezzle around Tk150 crore from the Cox's Bazar International Airport runway expansion project through fraud, forgery and other irregularities, in violation of administrative authority.

During the tender process, he served as supervising engineer and member-secretary of the tender evaluation committee. The petition states that he was aware of and involved in the alleged corruption.

It adds that placing him on remand would help identify others involved and gather important information related to the case.

The defence lawyer opposed the remand at the hearing, saying the accused respects the law and is elderly. He sought cancellation of the remand order and requested that questioning be conducted at the jail gate.

An ACC team arrested him from the capital's Segunbagicha area on 28 January. He was sent to jail later that afternoon.

On 27 January 2025, the ACC filed a case against 10 people, including former prime minister's military adviser Tarique Ahmed Siddique, over alleged irregularities and corruption in the Cox's Bazar airport runway expansion project. Habibur Rahman is among the accused named in the FIR.