NSU scam: Four trustees denied bail again

A Dhaka court yesterday rejected the bail pleas of four members of North South University's trustee board in a Tk 304 crore money laundering case.

The four are MA Kashem, Benajir Ahmed, Rehana Rahman and Mohammed Shajahan.

In the case, filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission on May 5, Azim Uddin, the chairperson of NSU Board of Trustees, and Amin Md Hilaly, managing director of Ashaloy Housing and Developers, were also made accused.

They are now absconding.

Judge KM Emrul Kayesh of the Dhaka's Metropolitan Senior Special Judge's Court passed the order after their lawyers submitted four separate bail petitions.

During the hearing, the lawyers said there were no specific allegations against their clients and all the four are holding high-profile statuses in the society.

Moreover, accused Shajahan has been suffering from different ailments, including kidney disease.

So, they should be granted bail considering social status and illness, the defence added.

However, the prosecution opposed, saying the charges brought against them were primarily proved.

Earlier, the High Court had also rejected their anticipatory bail petitions.

The judge went on to tell the defence that he would not peruse the allegations mentioned in the first information report as the HC already gave a detailed observation while rejecting the petitions.

Earlier on May 23, Judge Emrul Kayesh allowed the Anti-Corruption Commission to interrogate the four accused at the jail gate for a day in the case.

The day before, the HC, after rejecting the anticipatory bail petitions, ordered Shahbagh police to arrest them immediately and produce them before the trial court within 24 hours.