The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Wednesday cancelled the 13-year jail sentence of BNP Chairperson’s Adviser Aman Ullah Aman in a corruption case filed over concealment of wealth information and illegal asset accumulation.

A full bench led by Senior Justice Md Ashfaqul Islam passed the verdict, also scrapping the three-year sentence of Aman’s wife, Sabera Aman.

Earlier, on April 30, the Appellate Division fixed the date for pronouncement of the verdict after completing hearings on Aman’s appeal against the previous judgement.

Barrister Mahbub Uddin Khokon appeared for Aman in court, while Advocate Asif Hasan represented the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

In 2007, during the military-backed caretaker government, a special court sentenced Aman to 13 years in jail and his wife to three years in a case filed by the ACC with Kafrul Police Station. On May 30, 2023, after a rehearing, a High Court bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Khizir Hayat upheld the convictions.

Aman was later asked to surrender before the lower court within two weeks of receiving the judgement. Following this, he surrendered on September 10, 2023, and was sent to jail.

He then sought leave to appeal and bail from the Appellate Division. Though initially denied bail, the court accepted his leave to appeal on January 14, 2024. On March 20, the Appellate Division granted him bail.

This verdict now fully clears both Aman and his wife from the previous convictions issued by the lower court and upheld by the High Court.

MSK/