Probe Into Offshore Business: SC lawyer seeks to become party to High Court order

Supreme Court lawyer Barrister Syed Sayedul Haque Suman yesterday submitted two petitions -- one for becoming a party to a probe ordered by the High Court and the other seeking a directive to bar S Alam's owner and his wife from leaving the country.

The petitions were filed with the High Court and the attorney general's office.

In the petition submitted to the AG office, Barrister Suman said there is a prima-facie case against S Alam Group for laundering money, corruption and forgery and therefore, an order from the HC is necessary directing its owners Mohammad Saiful Alam and his wife Farzana Parveen not to leave Bangladesh until the end of the inquiry ordered by this court on August 6.

On the same day, Barrister Suman moved a prayer before the HC with a report in The Daily Star headlined "S Alam's Aladdin's lamp" published on August 4, for a suo-muto rule and probe order.

The HC bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Khizir Hayat Lizu will hold a hearing today on the petition filed seeking to become an added party to the suo-muto rule and probe order, the lawyer said.

Last week, S Alam Group submitted two petitions with the HC and the attorney general's office, one seeking to become a party to a probe ordered by the HC, and the other seeking a retraction of the probe and a gag order on media.

The bench on August 6 issued the suo-muto rule directing the inquiry into allegations that Saiful Alam and his wife are running offshore businesses without Bangladesh Bank's permission.