SC upholds verdict to return money seized by one-eleven govt

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday rejected an appeal of Bangladesh Bank against High Court verdict asking the government to return money seized by one-eleven government in 2007.

"A four-member apex court bench headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha passed the order, dismissing the appeal of the central bank," said Ahsanul Karim, who stood for the victim businessmen before the court.

Karim said by when the money is to be returned will be known only after the release of the full text of the verdict.

According to the case documents, around Taka 615 crore was seized by then one-eleven government from different businessmen and companies in the name of anti-graft campaign. As the Awami League-led government assumed office in 2008, the victims filed separate writ petitions to get the money back.

The High Court subsequently had passed an order, asking the government to return that money by 90 days. Accepting a leave to appeal petition of Bangladesh Bank against the order, the apex court on August 2, 2015, had stayed the High Court verdict. The central bank later filed the appeal, which was dismissed today.

Of the victims, the High Court had asked to return Taka 60 crore to S Alam Stills Limited, 237.65 crore to The Consolidated Tea and Lands Company Limited and Baraura Tea Company Limited, 52 crore to Meghna Cement Mills, 15 crore to Basundhara Paper Mills, 90 lakh to Unic Eastern Private Limited, 70 lakh to Unic Ceramic Industries, 17.55 crore to Unic Hotel and Resorts, 65 lakh to Unic Vocational Training Center owner Md Nur Ali, 7.10 crore to Borak Real Estate, 35 crore to Eastern Housing Limited and Taka 189 crore to East-West Property Limited.

Source: BSS