A Dhaka court today sentenced Abdul Malek, former driver of DGHS, to 13 years’ imprisonment. Photo: BSS

DHAKA, March 23, 2025 (BSS) - A court here today sentenced Abdul Malek, former driver of Directorate General of Health Service (DGHS), to 13 years’ imprisonment on charges of acquiring wealth beyond known sources of income and concealing wealth information.

Judge Zakaria Hossain of Dhaka Special Judge’s Court-6 announced the verdict in two separate sections of the ACC act in the presence of the lone accused.  After pronouncing the verdict, the court ordered to send Malek to prison.

The court sentenced Malek to three years imprisonment under Section 26(2) and 10 years imprisonment under Section 27(1) of the Anti-Corruption Commission Act-2004.

The court also fined him Tk one lakh each under section 26 (2) and 27 (2) of the act, in default, he will have to six months in prison under each section. 

Earlier, on February 14, 2021, ACC head office assistant director Syed Nazrul Islam filed the case as the plaintiff.

The ACC filed a charge sheet against him on September 21 of the same year.

According to the case details, Malek concealed information about acquiring movable and immovable assets worth over Tk 93. 53 taka in the asset statement submitted to the ACC.

At the same time, he acquired and possessed movable and immovable assets worth Tk 150,031,810 through unfair means, including making false or baseless declarations.

For this reason, a case has been filed against him for committing an offence punishable under Sections 26(2) and 27(1) of the Anti-Corruption Commission Act-2004.

Meanwhile, another case filed against Malek and his wife Nargis Begum for possessing movable and immovable assets worth Tk 110,092,050 which is inconsistent with the known source of income was scheduled for pronouncement of the verdict also today.

As the verdict was not ready on that day, the court of Judge Zakaria Hossain of Dhaka Special Judge Court-6 set a new date for pronouncing the verdict on April 16.

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) on September 20, 2020, arrested Malek with a foreign pistol and fake money from Turag area, on the outskirts of the capital.

A case was filed against Malek with Turag Police Station under the Arms Control Act and the Special Powers Act.

On September 19, 2021, the Dhaka Additional Third Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court sentenced him to 15 years in prison for a total of 30 years under two sections of the acts.