Former Bangla speaker skips from parliamentary probe

Former Bangladesh parliament speaker Jamiruddin Sircar and another BNP leader today skipped appearance before a parliamentary probe committee, investigating graft charges against them.

Former Bangladesh parliament speaker Jamiruddin Sircar and another BNP leader today skipped appearance before a parliamentary probe committee, investigating graft charges against them.

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Sircar and his former deputy in the last house, Akhtar Hamid Siddiqui failed to appear before the high level body, defying a summon for self-defence against allegations of financial irregularities.

"The committee will decide the next course of action later today as they did not appear as summoned earlier," the parliamentary probe committee chief and ruling Awami League lawmaker Fazle Rabbi Mian said.

The three BNP leaders, Sircar, Siddiqui and ex-parliamentary chief whip Khondokar Delwar Hossain were earlier summoned by the committee after it find validity of financial irregularities against them.

Sources close to Hossain said he too was unlikely to appear before the committee as he was asked to appear at a different time later today.

"I did not attend the meeting as they have not provided me with the papers to substantiate their corruption charges against me," Sircar, now an opposition BNP MP told the private bdnews 24 news agency.

"How I can reply to the charges if I am denied the papers . . . If they provide me the papers I will attend the meeting in future," Sircar said.