Staff Reporter :
The High Court on Thursday ordered Lakshmipur-2 lawmaker Mohammad Shahid Islam Papul’s wife Selina Islam reserved-seat lawmaker, and their daughter Wafa Islam to surrender in a trial court in 10 days in a money laundering case.
The High Court Bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Ahmed Sohel passed the order after rejecting their bail petitions.
Advocate Abdul Baset Majumder and advocate Sayed Ahmed Raza took part in the hearing on behalf of the
petitioners, while advocate Khurshid Alam Khan appeared for the ACC and Deputy Attorney General AKM Amin Uddin Manik represented the State.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case on November 11 this year with its Integrated Dhaka Office-1 against Papul, his wife, daughter and sister-in-law Jesmin Pradhan on allegation of money laundering.
ACC brought charges of laundering Tk 1.48 billion and transferring the money illegally against them.
Papul was arrested in Kuwait on 6 June this year on charges of human trafficking and money laundering. He later admitted to being engaged in these activities, and also acknowledged involvement in illegal visa trading and bribery of Kuwaiti officials.
Meanwhile, a Kuwaiti court after rejecting his plea for release in the case began the trial against MP Papul and other accused on 17 September, charging of human trafficking, money laundering, bribery and threatening State security.
On 17 June, the Anti-Corruption Commission imposed travel ban on Selina Islam, Wafa Islam and Jasmin Akhter.
Later on November 26 this year Papul’s wife, daughter and sister-in-law filed three separate bail petitions with the High Court. The High Court rejected two petitions on Thursday, but Jesmin’s bail petition was not on the cause-list for hearing on that day.
Deputy Attorney General AKM Amin Uddin Manik said, “The court rejected their petitions that sought anticipatory bail in the case. But, the court asked them to surrender in 10 days.”
During yesterday’s hearing, the bail seekers submitted a letter in the court issued by Md Arefin Ahsan Miah, Deputy Director of Bangladesh Bank, that saying ‘money laundering did not appear’ in cases of FDR and borrowing money by the accused.
Upon hearing, the court yesterday summoned the central bank official to appear in the court on January 4 for explaining under what authority he had issued the letter, said the state counsel.
According to the case statement, though 23-year-old Jesmin has no source of income of her own, the ACC has found illegal assets worth Tk 231 million. Hiding behind companies that existed on paper alone, Jesmin Pradhan’s five bank accounts were used to launder Tk 1.48 billion between 2012 and 2020.
According to the ACC, Shahid Islam Papul used the bank accounts to transfer and launder illegal assets accumulated by his family.
