Embezzling Tk 23cr: Court to decide on charge framing against Bacchu on Sept 7
A Dhaka court fixed September 7 to decide whether it will accept the charges brought against former chairman of Basic Bank Abdul Hye Bacchu and 13 others in a Tk 23 crore embezzlement case.
Judge (in charge) Faisal Atiq Bin Kader of Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge's Court set the date after the charge sheet was placed before him for next course of action.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. The other accused are the bank's sacked managing directors Kazi Faqurul Islam and Shah Alam Bhuiyan, deputy managing directors Fazlus Sobhan and A Monaem Khan, assistant general managers Md Jalal Uddin, ASM Anisur Rahman Chowdhury, Sadia Akhter Shahin, and Rumana Ahad, and former general manager Md Ali Chowdhury.
Along with them, Ashraf Ahmed, managing director of Ahmed Oil Mills Ltd, its directors Nasrin Jahan Ratna and Iqbal Hossain Bhuiyan; managing partner of SD Survey Farm and its chief surveyor and partner Md Faruk are also accused in the case.
Md Ali, Iqbal Hossain, and Fazlus Sobhan are currently on bail, while Bachhu and 10 others are absconding.
On July 31, ACC Deputy Director Md Ibrahim submitted the charge sheet against them to the Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge's Court.
Ibrahim, also the case's investigation officer, appealed to the court to issue arrest warrants against Bacchu and the 10 others as they did not get bail from any court.
On September 22, 2015, the ACC filed a case with Paltan Police Station against Faqurul and 11 others for their alleged involvement in the embezzlement of Tk 23 crore.
Later, the IO included the names of Bacchu and Shah Alam in the charge sheet after discovering their involvement in the graft.
According to the case statement, on June 26, 2012, the accused bank officials sanctioned a loan of Tk 23 crore to Ashraf Ahmed and his wife Nasrin Jahan Ratna, proprietors of Ahmed Oil Mills Ltd without scrutinising any documents submitted on behalf of the company. The money was later embezzled in its entirety.
The ACC also filed 17 other cases on September 22, 2015, against a number of bankers and borrowers linked with the Tk 5,000-crore BASIC Bank scam between 2009 and 2013.