8 former staff jailed

A Faridpur court yesterday sentenced eight former officials of Sonali Bank to different terms in jail for misappropriating over Tk 47.2 lakh from the bank's main branch in Gopalganj.

The convicts are, Shawkat Hossain, the then chief cashier of the branch, and seven other cashiers--Amol Chandra Biswas, HM Siddiqur Rahman, Monjurul Haque, Mosharraf Hossain Molla, Golam Mohammad Munshi, Dilip Kumar Mondal and Yusuf Ali Khandakar, Faridpur Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Public Prosecutor (PP) Mujibur Rahman said.

Faridpur Special Judge's Court Judge Mohammad Motiur Rahman sentenced Shawkat to life imprisonment and 17 years under two separate sections and seven others to 18 years each, PP Mujibur said, adding that the court delivered the verdict in presence of seven of the eight accused in the case while Shawkat is in hiding.

The court also fined convict Shawkat Tk 48,26,28.38, in default, he is to suffer 14 months more in jail, and seven others Tk 90,000 each, in default, they are to suffer one year more jail, the PP added.

According to the case statement, Shawkat in cooperation with nine other cashiers of the branch embezzled Tk 47,26,28.38 in 2003.

Manager of the branch later filed a case with Gopalganj Sadar Police Station on December 8, 2003 against 10 people.

Two other accused, Parimol Biswas and Khobir Uddin died while the then Faridpur ACC Deputy Assistant Director Abul Bashar conducted the investigation of the case.