PBI plea to scrap bail of Transcom CEO, 3 others rejected

A Dhaka court yesterday rejected a petition filed by the Police Bureau of Investigation seeking cancellation of bail of Transcom Group Chief Executive Officer Simeen Rahman, its Head of Transformation Zaraif Ayat Hossain and two others in separate cases.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Rashidul Alam passed the order, said a sub-inspector at the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court.

The magistrate also rejected a 10-day remand prayer filed by the PBI with the court earlier.

The two others are Transcom Group's chief financial officer Kamrul Hasan and executive director (corporate affairs and law) Md Fakhruzzaman Bhuiyan.

The lawyers who represented the Transcom executives and officials at yesterday's hearing include senior lawyer Kazi Md Nazib Ullah Hiru, Abdur Rahman Howlader, president of Dhaka Bar Association; Mizanur Rahman Mamun, former president of the association; Sheikh Baharul Islam, Mohammad Shaheenoor Islam, Abdullah-Al-Mamun and Mohammad Siddique Ullah Miah.

Yesterday, senior lawyer Ahsanul Karim represented the complainant in the hearing, among others.

On February 22, Simeen's younger sister Shahzreh Huq filed three cases with Gulshan Police Station, accusing Transcom Group Chairman Shahnaz Rahman, Simeen, Zaraif and six other officials of fraud and breach of trust with regard to the company's shares and properties.

On April 3, the court granted bail to Shahnaz, Simeen and Zaraif until submission of the probe report.

On the same day, the three executives surrendered before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court hours after they returned to the country and sought bail, following the directives of the Supreme Court.

According to their lawyers, Shahnaz, Simeen, and Zaraif were abroad when the cases were filed.

The other accused in the cases are on bail now.