HC wants to know names, whereabouts of Bangladeshis who laundered money

The Daily Star December 17, 2020
Star Online Report

The High Court today wanted to know specifically the names and addresses of Bangladeshi nationals, who have laundered money abroad and purchased houses in foreign countries including Canada, Singapore and Malaysia.

It also wanted to know what steps have been taken against them.

The court directed the authorities concerned of the Anti-Corruption Commission and government to submit separate reports before it by February 28 next year.

The HC bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Ahmed Sohel also fixed February 28 for holding further hearing and passing order on this issue.

The bench passed the order during virtual hearing on a suo moto (voluntary) rule issued by it on November 22 on this issue.

The government needs time to get the information, he said.

ACC’s lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan placed a compliance report before the HC bench, saying that the ACC has filed cases against more than 100 people including Casino kingpins Selim Prodhan, Ismail Hossain Samrat and Khaled Mahmud for laundering money abroad.

Trial proceedings against them are going on, he said, adding that the ACC and government have brought around Tk 70 crore as laundered money from abroad through mutual legal assistance cooperation law.

The ACC lawyer also mentioned the legal steps taken against former BNP ministers Moudud Ahmed, Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain and M Morshed Khan and businessmen Mosaddek Ali Falu and Gias Uddin Al Mamun on corruption charges.

Earlier on November 22, the same HC bench issued an injunction to restrain people from laundering money abroad and directed intelligence agencies to take appropriate steps to stop the laundering of money.