Hallmark group MD, chairman among 9 get life term

A Dhaka court on Tuesday sentenced nine people including Hallmark Group Managing Director Tanvir Mahmud and his wife Jasmine Islam, the company’s chairman, to life term imprisonment and fined them Tk 5 crore each in a corruption case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). 

Judge Md Abul Kashem of Dhaka Special Judge Court-1 passed the order on Tuesday. 

The court also sentenced seven other people to ten years in jail in the case.

Apart from Tanvir and Jasmine, the convicts who got life term are Sonali Bank Deputy General Manager (Hotel Sheraton or Rupashi Bangla branch) Md Saiful Hasan, Executive Officer Abdul Motin, Tanvir’s brother-in-law Tushar Ahmed, Max Spinning Mills owner Meer Jakaria, Paragon Group Managing Director Saiful Islam Raza, Nakshi Knit Managing Director Md Abdul Malek and T and Brothers Director Taslim Hasan. 

Seven other convicts who were sentenced to ten years in jail in the case are Sonali Bank Senior Executive Officer (Dhanmondi Branch) Meherunnesa Merry, Sonali Bank (head office) former general managers Nani Gopal Nath and Mir Mohidur Rahman, former managing director Humayun Kabir, Deputy Managing Director (DMD) Mainul Haque, Deputy General Manager (DGM) Safi Uddin, and AGM Md Kamrul Hossain Khan.

Meanwhile, Savar Hemayetpur’s Tantuljhora Union Parishad (UP) Chairman Md Jamal Uddin Sarkar was also sentenced to five years in jail and fined Tk 5 lakh in the same case.  

According to the case documents, the 18 people are accused of embezzling Taka 16.50 crore after taking loan of 525.62 crore in the name of a non-existent Max Spinning Mills.

The ACC filed the case on October 4, 2012, with the capital's Ramna Police Station.