Lakehead school owner gets bail in bribery case

A Dhaka court today granted bail to Khaled Hassan Matin, owner of Lakehead Grammar School, in a bribery case.

Judge Kamrul Hossain Mollah of Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court in Dhaka passed the order after Matin moved an appeal petition against the rejection order of a lower court.

The chief metropolitan magistrate’s court earlier rejected Matin’s bail petition and sent him along with two education ministry officials to jail after they were produced before it.

Two other accused are: Motaleb Hossain, personal official of Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid, and Nasir Uddin, upper division assistant of the ministry.

Court sources said the Anti-Corruption Commission was yet to appoint any investigation officer to probe the allegations brought against them.

On January 22, a team of the Detective Branch of police arrested the two ministry employees and the Lakehead school owner in the capital’s Gulshan and Basila areas and a case was filed against them with Banani Police Station.

On November 7 last year, the district administration of Dhaka sealed off Dhanmondi and Gulshan branches of the school, closing all its activities on allegations of patronising militancy, inspiring extremist views and helping militant outfits.

The Supreme Court later ordered reopening the school with a new board of directors including military officials and the Dhaka divisional commissioner in the chairing. Later on January 13, the school reopened.

Sources said its owner made a deal of around Tk 5 lakh with Motaleb and Nasir to expedite the process of its reopening following the court order.