Staff Reporter :
The High Court on Tuesday imposed a travel ban on 25 persons including PK Halder’s mother Lilaboti Halder, former Deputy Governor of the Bangladesh Bank SK Sur Chowdhury and Chairman of the International Leasing and Financial Services Limited (ILFSL) NI Khan.
The High Court bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Ahmed Sohel passed the order after holding hearing on a petition filed by five persons who invested their money in People’s Leasing and Financial Services Limited (PLFS) and International Leasing and Financial Services Limited (ILFSL).
The other persons are- Harunur Rashid (First Finance), Uzzal Kumar Nandi (friend of PK Halder), Shami Huda, Amitav Odhikari, Abontika Boral, Shamim (ILFSL), Runai (ILFSL), Sukumar Mridha, Anindita Mridha, Topan, Swapan Kumar Mistri and Avijit Chowdhury.
The list also included the names of Rajib Shom, Erfan Uddin Ahmed, Angan Mohan Roy, Nongo Chow Mong, Nizamul Ahsan, Manik Lal Shomaddar, Sohel Shams, Mahbub Musa, A Q Siddique and Moyazzem Hossain.
The court asked the concerned bodies of the government to take necessary steps so that the persons cannot leave the country and it allowed the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) for interrogating them according to the law.
Victim persons defended themselves in the court. Besides, advocate Khurshid Alam Khan took part in the hearing on behalf of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), and Deputy Attorney General AKM Amin Uddin Manik represented the state.
Later Mr Amin Uddin Manik told the reporters that the five victim investors submitted a petition in the court saying that the accused 25 persons have connection with much-talked Proshanta Kumar Halder, popularly known as PK Halder, who swindled billions from a number of banks and financial institutions and fled the country last year.
“The 25 persons are also involved with money laundering. That is why the victims filed the petition praying High Court directions for imposing a travel ban upon the persons,” also said the state counsel.
Meanwhile, five of the 25 have already been banned from leaving the country by another High Court bench. They are— Lilaboti Halder, Amitav Odhikari, Uzzal Kumar Nandi, Avijit Chowdhury and Erfan Uddin Ahmed.
The High Court bench of Justice Muhammad Khurshid Alam Sarkar imposed a travel ban on January 19 last year on 20 persons including the five persons after hearing a writ petition filed by some depositors of the International Leasing and Financial Services Limited.
Five persons who invested their huge money in People’s Leasing and Financial Services Limited and International Leasing and Financial Services Limited on last Sunday prayed to the court to get back their capital while the court was holding hearing a money laundering case. Then the court asked them to file written application.
The five investors are Showkatur Rahman, a freedom fighter, Md Tariqul Islam, an accountant, Samia Binte Mahbub, a house wife, Raziul Hasan, a retired ambassador, and Dr Nashid Kamal, former Professor of Dhaka University.
