HC again summons Jamuna Bank MD

The High Court yesterday again summoned Shafiqul Alam, managing director of Jamuna Bank, to appear before it on February 12 and explain his inaction to comply with a 2017 directive.

The bench of Justice Mamnoon Rahman and Justice Ashish Ranjan Das also ordered the officer-in-charge of Motijheel Police Station to arrest and produce Shafiqul on February 12 if he does not appear on his own.

According to the case statement, one Talebur Rahman opened a Mudaraba Term Deposit Receipt [MTDR], a profit bearing account, with Jamuna Bank's Nawabpur branch in 2005. The deposit matured after five years.

Talebur gave the power of attorney to AIM Hasanul Mujib [the petitioner] for drawing the deposited money from the bank, said the petitioner's lawyer Barrister ABM Altaf Hossain.

"When Mujib went to the bank, they refused to release the money," said the lawyer, adding, Mujib later knocked the doors of Bangladesh Bank (BB), but could not get the money released.

He then filed a writ petition in this connection against the authorities concerned of the central bank and Jamuna Bank.

On February 2017, the HC directed Jamuna Bank to pay Tk 51 lakh [the deposit money] to Mujib in 30 days.

The apex court also upheld the HC verdict, but the bank did not release the money.

As the respondents did not act upon the court's order, on January 24 last year, HC issued a contempt of court rule against BB governor, the finance secretary, Jamuna Bank MD and three others in this connection.

A year later, on January 22, Mujib again filed another petition with the court, and the same bench summoned Shafiqul to appear on January 29 [yesterday]. Shafiqul was absent. 

During hearing yesterday, Shafiqul's lawyer Advocate Habibul Islam Bhuiyan yesterday told the bench that his client could not appear before it as he is currently traveling abroad on an official trip.

"This is a blatant violation of the court order and contempt of court," Barrister Altaf said.