Hall-Mark chairman to repay Tk 100cr per month

Jasmine Islam, chairman of controversial Hall-Mark Group. Star file photo

A Dhaka court Sunday granted bail to Jasmine Islam, chairman of controversial Hall-Mark Group, on condition that she would submit Tk 100 crore every month until their Tk 2,600 crore loan is repaid.

Judge Md Zahirul Haque of the Senior Special Judge's Court granted Jasmine bail in 11 cases after her lawyer Kazi Md Nazibullah Hiru, also president of Dhaka Bar Association, assured the court that his client would pay the amount regularly to the head office of Sonali Bank.

Jasmine was sent to jail on February 19 hours after she surrendered to a Dhaka court in connection with the corruption cases.

The Anti-Corruption Commission on October 4 last year had filed the cases against 27 top officials of the state-owned Sonali Bank and Hall-Mark Group for swindling Tk 2,600 crore.

According to a Bangladesh Bank investigation, Hall-Mark in connivance with some bank officials pocketed the amount from the Ruposhi Bangla branch of Sonali Bank on forged documents.