Proshanta Kumar Halder

Four depositors of People's Leasing and Financial Service (PLFS), a non-banking financial institution, yesterday described their plights and sufferings before the High Court for not getting back their money from PLFS.

They said they could not get back their money as Proshanta Kumar Halder, popularly known as PK Halder, and his accomplices have embezzled a huge amount of money from the organisation and laundered it abroad.

The four are: Nashid Kamal, former Dhaka University teacher and daughter of former chief justice Mustafa Kamal, Samia Binte Mahbub, a former official of a private firm, Md Tariqul Islam, an official of Khaled Mansur Trust, a welfare organisation, and Md Shawkat-Ur Rahman, a freedom fighter and former director of DU gymnasium.

During the hearing on a suo moto rule, they connected with the virtual proceedings of the bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Ahmed Sohel and placed their statements before the court.

The depositors prayed to the HC to pass necessary directives so that they get their deposited money back from the authorities concerned.

The bench asked them to submit their statements to the court through affidavits along with relevant documents and fixed tomorrow for passing an order on this issue.

Nashid told the HC that she has deposited Tk 50 lakh and her family members, including eminent singer Ferdausi Rahman, have deposited around Tk 3 crore with PLFS as the organisation is endorsed by Bangladesh Bank.

She said they approached the Bangladesh Bank for the money, but the bank authorities have not taken any step to refund their money.

Samia told the HC bench that she deposited Tk 1 crore, her and her husband's whole lives savings, with PLFS. Now, they are jobless due to ongoing pandemic and suffering from financial hardship.

Samia said, "She could not give their children fish and meat in their meals for more than one year due to the financial hardship."

She said though PK Halder, former managing director of NRB Global Bank, has been absconding abroad, his accomplices, including Amitabh Adhikary, Uzzal Kumar Nandi, Abantika Boral, Swapan Kumar Mistri and Manik Lal Sarkar, are in Bangladesh. They have regular communications, but they are not being detained, she said.

Samia said the depositors have deposited a total of Tk 750 crore with PLFS, but they are not getting back their money even though the Bangladesh Bank, finance ministry and even the Prime Minister's Office have been informed of the incident.

Tariqul Islam said the Khaled Mansur Trust deposited Tk 10 crore with PLFS and Shawkat-Ur Rahman said he deposited Tk 13 lakh.

Anti-Corruption Commission lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan and Deputy Attorney General AKM Amin Uddin Manik told the HC that the ACC and the home ministry provided relevant documents and papers to the Interpol to arrest PK Halder and bring him back home.

Issuing the suo moto rule, the HC bench on November 18 last year wanted to know from the authorities concerned what steps have been taken to arrest Halder, who fled the country after allegedly siphoning off around Tk 10,200 crore from some non-banking financial institutions.

According to Canadian media reports, Halder is now in Toronto. He is director of P&L Hal Holding Inc, a Canadian corporation.

The three other NBFIs from which PK Halder allegedly embezzled crores of taka are: International Leasing and Financial Services Limited (ILFSL), FAS Finance and Investment, and Bangladesh Industrial Finance Company.

Halder came to the limelight during the anti-casino drives in 2019. The ACC opened investigation into the involvement of 43 people, including Halder, in the illegal casino business.

The ACC on January 8 last year filed a case against Halder on charges of illegally amassing wealth worth Tk 275 crore.

Following a petition filed by two depositors, the HC on January 21 last year directed the Bangladesh Bank and all private banks to freeze the accounts of PK Halder, his five relatives, Bank Asia's former MD Erfanudidn Ahmed and Halder's aides Uzzal Kumar Nondi for allegedly misappropriating funds.

The HC ordered the government to seize the passports of 20 people, including Halder, his wife Susmita Saha and his brother Pritish Kumar Halder.

The court also directed the authorities concerned not to allow transfer ownership of any of their movable and immovable properties, including stock, cash and cars, to any people or entities until the disposal of the case.