Nazmul Huda

Nazmul Huda (born 6 January 1943) is a Bangladeshi barrister and politician. He served as the minister of information (1991–1996) and the minister of communications (2001–2006) of the government of Bangladesh. He was a 4-term Jatiya Sangsad member representing the Dhaka-1 constituency. He was a member of Bangladesh Nationalist Party since its inception until 2012 when he left the party as its vice chairman.

Political career

Huda started his political career with ''Jagodal'', a party founded by former President of Bangladesh Ziaur Rahman in 1977. He became the founding member of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). He resigned from BNP as a vice chairman in June 2012. Two months later he formed his own party Bangladesh Nationalist Front (BNF). He was ousted by the party leader S.M. Abul Kalam Azad after a few months. He formed Bangladesh National Alliance (BNA) in May 2014 and Bangladesh Manabadhikar Party (BMP) in November the same year. In November 2015, he formed his fifth political party named ''Trinamool BNP''.

Huda, as the head of an alliance of 31 parties, joined the Awami League-led 14-party combine in January 2016.

Huda was defeated as in the 2018 Bangladeshi general election as a Bangladesh National Alliance (BNA) party candidate from the Dhaka-17 constituency.

Charges and convictions

On 21 March 2007, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed a case accusing Huda, while he was the communications minister during 2001–2006, taking Tk 2.40 crore as bribe from a businessman, Mir Zahir Hossain, in exchange for awarding him Tk 30 crore government contracts for construction work. On 27 August, he was sentenced to 7 years' of rigorous imprisonment. Based on the appeal, the High Court, on 20 March 2011, had acquitted him of the charges but on 1 December 2014, the Supreme Court's Appellate Division scrapped the acquittal. On 8 November 2017, the High Court commuted the jail term to 4 years. The Supreme Court asked Huda to surrender in this case in January 2018. After surrendering, Huda was sent to prison on 7 January 2019. On 21 January, the Supreme Court granted bail in this case.

On 27 July 2007, Golam Mohammad Siraj, a BNP politician and owner of Cab Express Ltd, filed a case against Huda and his wife accusing them of extorting him for two Maruti cars in 2003. A Dhaka court, on 12 June 2008, sentenced Huda to 12 years of rigorous imprisonment in this case. But in September 2015, the High Court scrapped the lower court verdict and acquitted him.

On 3 April 2008, Huda was sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment on charges of concealing wealth information and illegally amassing wealth. Following an appeal, the High Court, in August 2010, acquitted him from this case. But, the Supreme Court scrapped the acquittal verdict in September 2015.

On 18 June 2008, ACC filed a case accusing Huda and his wife taking Tk 6 lakh as bribe from a contractor. The High Court scrapped the case in 2016 but in 2017, the Appellate Division cancelled the High Court verdict. Following a petition, on 8 July 2019, the High Court asked ACC to end inquiry within 4 months.

On 9 January 2020, ACC filed two graft cases against the Huda and his family for laundering about Tk 6.73 crore in UK. They were granted bail on these charges on 10 March.

On 19 February 2020, ACC filed a case against Huda for bringing false allegation against a former Chief Justice of Bangladesh Surendra Kumar Sinha. According to the statement, Huda falsely claimed that Sinha had demanded bribe from him promising to dismiss a corruption case filed against him.

Personal life

Huda is married to lawyer Sigma Huda. Together they have two daughters Antora Salima Huda and Srabonti Ameena Huda.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Huda, Nazmul
Living people
1943 births
Bangladeshi barristers
Bangladesh Nationalist Party politicians
Information ministers of Bangladesh
Communications ministers of Bangladesh
5th Jatiya Sangsad members
6th Jatiya Sangsad members
7th Jatiya Sangsad members
8th Jatiya Sangsad members
Place of birth missing (living people)