Staff Reporter :
The High Court on Tuesday imposed a travel ban upon 14 officials of AB Bank Limited including its two former managing directors (MDs), Mashiur Rahman Chowdhury and Shamim Ahmed Chowdhury, and a businessman in a money laundering case.
The court at the same time asked the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to arrest the 15 accused within seven days after receiving the court order.
The 13 other accused are former EVP of the bank ABM Abdus Salam, SVP and former Relationship Manager Anisur Rahman, AVP Md Ruhul Amin, EVP and Head of CRM Wasika Afrozi, VP and CMR member Mufti Mostafizur Rahman and former SEVP and Head of CRM Salma Akter.
The list also included AVP and CRM member Emarot Hossain Fakir, former Principal Officer Tawhidul Islam, SVP and CRM member Shamim A Morshed, VP and CRM member Khandaker Rashed Anwar, AVP and CRM member Sirajul Islam, former VP and credit committee member Mahfuzul Islam and businessman Md Earhsad Ali.
The High Court Bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice AKM Zahirul Huq passed the order after hearing a bail petition filed by two other accused of the case, AB Bank’s AVP and Relationship Manager Abdur Rahim and VP Shahidul Islam.
Among the 17 accused of the case, these two accused are in jail praying bail through their lawyer. After hearing the court issued a rule in this regard.
Lawyer Golam Abbas Chowdhury Dulal appeared in the court on behalf of the accused, while Khurshid Alam Khan appeared for the ACC and Deputy Attorney General AKM Amin Uddin Manik represented the State.
Later Khushid Alam Khan said, “The court has asked the ACC to arrest 15 accused of the case after receiving the court order. The immigration police, the ACC and the police chief have been instructed not to allow these 15 people to flee abroad.”
The ACC has filed the case against 17 people, including two former managing directors (MDs) of AB Bank, Mashiur Rahman Chowdhury and Shamim Ahmed Chowdhury, on charge of embezzling Tk 1.76 billion through fake work orders and illegal bank guarantees.
ACC Deputy Assistant Director Abul Kalam Azad filed the case with ACC’s District Integrated Office-1 in Dhaka on June 8 this year.
According to the case statement, the accused with the help of each other withdrew Tk 1.76 billion from the bank between 2014 and 2018 by preparing six fake work orders through fraudulence and embezzled money.
Among the accused, AB Bank’s AVP and Relationship Manager Abdur Rahim and VP Shahidul Islam filed bail petition with the High Court on September 21 this year. The High Court then refused to grant bail to them and asked the two officials to surrender in the concerned court.
Accordingly they surrendered in the court on November 3 this year and the judge sent them to the jail after refusing their bail petition. Then they moved the High Court against the lower court order.
During the hearing of the appeal petition filed by the two accused, the High Court wanted to know about the remaining accused. Then the ACC lawyer informed the court that they are absconding. In this circumstance the court passed order.
