A Dhaka court today issued an arrest warrant against E-commerce platform Alesha Mart Chairman Manjurul Alam Sikdar in a case filed over embezzlement of Tk 1.39 crore from 27 customers.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Syful Islam passed the order after the complainant of the case filed an application in this regard.

In the application, complainant Suvash Chandra Sarkar of Barishal said the accused failed to comply with the order even though summons was served upon the accused issued on April 18. So arrest warrant should be issued against him, he said in the complaint.

The magistrate directed officer-in-charge of Dhanmindi Police Station to submit by September 1 the progress report on execution of arrest warrant issued against the accused.

According to the prosecution, it was alleged that 27 customers including the complainant on several dates in 2021 paid Tk 1,39, 23,520 to buy motorbikes and other goods from the company. But the customers did not get the motorbikes and other goods within 45 days. The company then gave 27 cheques of Tk 1,39,23,530 to the customers on different dates the same year.

After that, the complainant and others deposited the cheques to different banks for withdrawal of the money. But the cheques were dishonoured as there was not a sufficient amount in the accounts.

The customers then communicated with the company on several times but the accused threatened them.

Later, on April 18, the complainant filed a cheating case with the court. After the hearing, the court summoned the accused to appear before it today.

Earlier on January 25, Alesha Mart Chairman was sentenced to six months imprisonment in a cheque bounce case.