Issue int’l red alert to arrest fugitive businessman: HC

The High Court today ordered police to issue a red alert through the Interpol to arrest a businessman who was sentenced to life imprisonment in a corruption case.

Fugitive Abu Borhan Chowdhury, chairman of Everest Holding and Technologies Ltd, was convicted in a graft case filed over misappropriation of Tk 15 core from Rupali Bank, Deputy Attorney General (DAG) AKM Amin Uddin Manik told The Daily Star.

Inspector general of police, director general of Rapid Action Battalion, commissioner of Dhaka metropolitan police and all law enforcement agencies have been directed to issue the red alert.

The respondents were asked to submit a report on the progress of complying with the directive before the HC by April 15.

The HC bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice KM Hafizul Alam came up with the order during hearing on a suo moto (voluntary rule) on this issue.

It also fixed April 15 for further hearing on the rule.

Earlier on January 29, the HC bench issued the suo moto rule and summoned three top officials of Rupali Bank Ltd to appear before it on February 13, who were exempted from charges in the same case.

The three Rupali Bank officials are: General Manager SM Atiqur Rahman, Deputy General Manager Mohammad Ali and Senior Principal Officer Md Abdus Samad Sarkar.

The court also issued the rule asking them to explain why they should not be tried in the case.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case with Motijheel Police Station on September 16, 2012 against Rupali Bank officials Atiqur, Mohammad Ali and Abdus Samad; along with Abu Borhan Chowdhury and Bahauddin, respectively chairman and managing director of Everest Holding and Technologies Ltd -- on charges of misappropriating Tk 15 crore from Rupali Bank.

The ACC’s Deputy Director Md Jahangir Alam on August 29, 2013 submitted the case’s charge sheet to the trial court, exempting the Rupali Bank officials from the case.