Charge framing hearing against PK Halder, cohorts on Aug 16

A Dhaka court on Thursday fixed August 16 for hearing on charge framing against former managing director of NRB Global Bank Prashanta Kumar Halder alias PK Halder and 13 others in a graft case.

The case was filed against the 14 accused for laundering Tk 80 crore to Canada and amassing Tk 426 crore from unknown sources in collusion with each other.

Judge KM Emrul Kayesh of Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge’s Court set the date and also transferred the case to Dhaka Special Judge’s Court-10 for holding the trial.

The other accused are PK Halder’s mother Lilabati Halder, Purnima Rani Halder, Uttam Kumar Mistry, Amitabh Adhikari, Pritish Kumar Halder, Rajib Som, Subrata Das, Ananga Mohan Roy, Swapan Kumar Mistry, Avantika Baral, Shankha Bepari, Sukumar Mridha and Anindita Mridha.

Of the accused, Avantika Baral, Shankha Bepari, Sukumar Mridha and Anindita Mridha are now in jail while the court on March 27 issued arrest warrants against the fugitives.

ACC Deputy Director Md Salahuddin, also investigation officer of the case, on February 10 submitted a charge sheet to the court against the 14 accused and the court accepted it on March 27.

PK Halder, who was arrested in West Bengal of India on May 14, acquired illegal assets in various illegal ways in his name and under various real and fake companies and individuals, according to the charge sheet.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case against PK Halder on January 8, 2020.