Swindlers should be 'shot down': HC

The High Court on Tuesday commented that the swindlers and launderers of Tk 4,000 crore of BASIC Bank Limited should be 'shot down.'

The HC bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Khizir Hayat made the comment during the bail hearing of Mohammad Ali Chowdhury, an accused of the BASIC Bank loan scam case and the then manager of the bank's Shantinagar branch in capital Dhaka.

The High Court said the money launderers are hostiles of the nation and why trials of these cases should not be held.

The court said to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), "Why you don't submit charge sheet? Those who embezzle people's money should be shot down. That should be their punishment."

Today the court rejected the bail petition of Mohammad Ali Chowdhury in three cases filed against him and asked the ACC to finish the investigation of six lawsuits lodged against the same accused.

The court also directed the anti-graft body to inform it by November 21 about the progress of all cases filed over BASIC Bank's Tk 4,000 crore embezzlement.

In today's hearing, senior lawyer advocate Abul Hossain stood for the defendant while deputy attorney general AKM Amin Uddin Manik for the prosecution and senior lawyer Md Khurshid Alam Khan for the ACC.

As many as 19 cases were filed against Mohammad Ali Chowdhury for allegedly swindling money from BASIC Bank. Out of these, he secured bail in 15.

There are a total of six accused in the case filed with Paltan Police Station on September 23, 2015, over the BASIC Bank loan scam.

FH/SU