PK Halder swindled Tk 2,500cr from ILFSL

With help from a top official of International Leasing and Financial Services Ltd (ILFSL), Proshanto Kumar Halder misappropriated about Tk 2,500 crore from the non-banking financial institutions (NBFI), finds Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) in its enquiry.

Proshanto, also known as PK Halder, is believed to have left the country with at least Tk 3,500 crore taken from four NBFIs, after the drive against illegal casino businesses began last year.

The NBFIs are ILFSL, Peoples' Leasing and Financial Services Ltd (PLFSL), Reliance Finance Ltd and FAS Finance and Investment Ltd.

According to investigation officers, Proshanto created some businesses that existed only on paper. He then took loans using those businesses and got away.

In this connection, Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) yesterday quizzed ILFSL Managing Director Rahsedul Haque. Preferring anonymity, an ACC official said Rashedul helped Proshanto get the loans.

Before joining ILFSL in 2015, Rahsedul worked as deputy managing director of Reliance Finance, when Proshanto was its managing director. Proshanto then joined as managing director of NRB Global Bank in 2015.

Documents show, Proshanto's organisation HAL international owned 7.41 percent shares of IFLSL in 2015 and 2016. Being a shareholder of IFLSL, with Rashedul's help easily managed to get loans worth about Tk 2,500 crore for 40 fake organisations.

ACC sources said without any scrutiny, Rashedul approved the loans and severely harmed IFLSL.

This correspondent tried to reach Rashedul for comments but failed. Proshanto now lives in Canada.

Sources said Proshanto took loans from ILFSL but did not pay back. He used the money to buy shares of PLFSL and took control over it. He then took money from the organisation in the same way.

Recently, Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit directed commercial banks to freeze accounts of 83 persons, including Proshanto, his mother Leelaboti Halder and brother Pritish Kumar Halder.

The allegations against Proshanto were made after ACC launched the enquiry into illegal casino owners. On January 8 this year, ACC filed a case against him for amassing property worth around Tk 274.91 crore from unknown sources.

ACC Deputy Director Gulshan Anowar Prodhand is enquiring about the fraud.

In this connection, ACC summoned former ILFSL chairperson MA Hashem, and directors Nasim Anwar, Basudev Banarjee, Mohammad Abul Hashem, Nawsherul Islam, Anwarul Kabir, Rashedul Haque and Irfan Ahmed Khan for quizzing.