Home ›› 16 May 2022 ›› Front
Attorney General AM Amin Uddin said assets of people would be returned by confiscating the assets of former NRB Global Bank Managing Director (MD) Proshanta Kumar Halder alias PK Halder.
He came up with the remarks while talking to journalists at his office on Sunday, a day after the arrest of PK Halder from India’s West Bengal on Saturday.
Indian intelligence agency the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) arrested PK Halder along with Indian ration card, voter ID card and Aadhar card. He will be first tried under Indian law.
Pk Halder and his associates allegedly embezzled over Tk 10,000 crore after receiving loans from various non-banking financial institutions in the name of companies owned by him and his family members.
The Attorney General said the illegally amassed wealth of PK Haldar would be confiscated and distributed among people.
He embezzled money from the bank. He was the managing director of a financial institution and he did everything to appropriate the money.
In response to a question, the Attorney General also said, he was the first person caught in a money laundering case from abroad. All those who have fled after money laundering will be apprehended in future.
About the process of PK Halder’s extradition, he said PK Halder would be tried under the Indian law for fraud there. He has obtained a false citizenship certificate. “It’s India’s own matter but we have a money laundering case pending here.”
Action will be taken to bring him back to complete the trial process in the case. Hopefully, it will be possible to bring him back within the shortest possible time. The issue will be discussed tomorrow (Monday), he said.
Meanwhile, ACC Chairman M Moinuddin Abdullah on Sunday said information on PK Haldar was being exchanged with India in an unofficial way since his arrest was reported in the media. He will be repatriated under extradition treaty.
He said: “We have specific procedures and laws in our country. We have an extradition treaty with India. We know about his arrest through media. We have to know officially, then we will contact and everyone including our Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Public Safety division will be contacted in this regard.”
ACC chairman said: “We have had unofficial contact with India and some information has been exchanged but nothing can be done unofficially to bring him back. After his arrest news was reported in media, we tried to get information. However, nothing has officially started about bringing him back till now. Let’s see what India officially says?”
The ACC froze the bank accounts of 83 individuals accused of aiding and abetting Halder in the scams. Moreover, Tk 1,000 crore worth of assets have so far been seized and travel bans issued on 64 people linked with Halder.
At least 34 cases have so far been filed against Halder and his associates over graft charges.
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan on Sunday said legal action would be taken against PK Halder following the official announcement of his detainment by India.
He said India didn’t inform Bangladesh anything about the arrest of PK Halder, who was wanted in Bangladesh.
Bangladeshi government has issued a warrant for his arrest through Interpol. “If Indian officials inform us about his detainment he will be brought back for legal action,” he said.
“Home Minister came up with the remarks while addressing a seminar on ‘Sheikh Hasina’s Homecoming: Reconstruction of History’ at the National Press Club in Dhaka.
Earlier, PK Halder, along with five others, was detained from Ashoknagar in West Bengal of India on Saturday.
After his arrest the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) revealed that PK Halder had passports of Bangladesh, India and Grenada and that he had allegedly siphoned off money to different countries.
It was also learnt that the Interpol had issued Red Corner Notice (RCN) against Proshanta Kumar Halder.
“The subject case is an offence of cross-border implication under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 as PK Halder has been found to be accused in approximately Tk 10,000 crore Bangladeshi Taka bank fraud in Bangladesh and alleged to have siphoned off money outside Bangladesh to various countries,” said the statement.
The Directorate of Enforcement began the interrogation of PK Halder a day after his arrest along with five others associates from India’s West Bengal.
All the six arrested persons were produced before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court on Sunday which remanded five of them.
According to Indian media reports, PK Halder was placed on a three-day remand on Sunday after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) produced him before an Indian court with a plea to put him on remand for interrogation.
The ED appealed to put PK Halder on remand late at night on Saturday. The court passed the remand order on Sunday morning. Among five of PK Halder’s accomplices, four has been put on a three-day remand. The only woman accomplice is in the ED custody.
