Bangladesh
High Court Money looters should be 'shot down': HC
Own Correspondent, Dhaka, Nov 9: The High Court has commented that the looters and smugglers of Tk 4,000 crore of Basic Bank should be 'shot down'.
On Tuesday (November 8), the High Court bench consisting of Justice Md. Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Khizir Hayat made the comments at the bail hearing of the then manager of the capital's Shantinagar branch Mohammad Ali Chowdhury, accused in the money laundering case of Basic Bank.
The court said money launderers are enemies of the nation. Why these cases will not be trial? Asking the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), the court said, "Why are you not giving the charge sheet? There should be a summary trial in cases of embezzlement and money laundering. Those who embezzle public money should be 'shot down'."
On this day, the High Court did not grant him bail in three cases filed against the then manager of Shantinagar branch of Basic Bank, Mohammad Ali Chowdhury. At the same time, the court ordered to complete the investigation of six cases filed against the accused. Meanwhile, the court expressed its anger that the investigation of 56 cases of Basic Bank was not completed and the charge sheet was not issued even after five years.
The court ordered to report the latest progress of all the cases filed in the case of loss of Tk 4000 crore by Basic Bank by November 21. ACC has been asked to implement this order.
Senior lawyer Advocate Abul Hossain was in the hearing for the accused in the court on Tuesday. Deputy Attorney General AKM Amin Uddin Manik was for the state. Senior lawyer Md. Khurshid Alam Khan was on behalf of the ACC.
Advocate Abul Hossain, the accused's lawyer, said that even after five years, the ACC is not issuing the charge sheet in the case. The trial is not over. The court termed money launderers as enemies of the nation. He also questioned why these cases will not be tried.
There are 19 cases against Mohammad Ali Chowdhury for embezzling money from Basic Bank. Out of this, he got bail in 15 cases. Four other cases are pending hearing of bail applications.
There are six accused in the case filed by Paltan Police Station on September 23, 2015, in connection with the Basic Bank loan scam.
