BB officials harboring financial thugs: HC says in full text of Dec 17 order
The High Court has observed that officials concerned of the Bangladesh Bank, including the general managers (GMs), have been harbouring financial thugs and perpetrators for personal gains.
"It is the misfortune of the people of this country that while the head of the government is working tirelessly with utmost honesty for the economic development of this country, the concerned officials of the central bank of the country, particularly, the DGMs (deputy general managers), GMs (general managers), executive directors and deputy governors of Bangladesh Bank, who were in charge of monitoring performances and activities of the banks and financial institutions at the relevant time, have been harbouring financial thugs/perpetrators, just to be personally gained over at the cost of destroying the motherland's economy," the HC said.
The HC bench of Justice Muhammad Khurshid Alam Sarkar made the observation in the full text of its order on company-petition that sought its directives to remove the present Board of Directors of Bangladesh Industrial Finance Company Limited (BIFC).
The bench had delivered a short order on December 17 last year on this issue. The full text of the order was released today after the judge of the HC bench signed it.
Tees Mart Inc, a private company holding 10 percent shareholder of BIFC, filed the petition in March last year also seeking HC directives on appointing an independent auditor to find the total amount of money embezzled from the BIFC by Proshanta Kumar Halder, popularly known as PK Halder, and his cohorts during the last five years.
In the petition, the petitioner alleged that the then board of the BIFC, led by PK Halder, embezzled around Tk 500 crore from the BIFC and retired major Mannan-group plundered around Tk 1,000 crore in the grab of sanctioning loans in favour of the companies exclusively owned by retired major Mannan and his family.
In the full text of order, the HC said, "For the case in hand, the general managers who were in charge of overseeing the activities of the financial institutions from the year 2002 to date should be made answerable for causing the disaster in the financial sector."
"Although this court is well-competent to draw the attention of the Anti-Corruption Commission to initiate a primary inquiry against the aforesaid persons. However, I opt to refrain from passing such orders/directions for now with an expectation that the governor of Bangladesh Bank shall look into the matter…so that no further public money is purloined by the crook businessmen in collaboration with the unscrupulous Bangladesh Bank officials," Justice Muhammad Khurshid Alam Sarkar said in the full text of the order.
Meanwhile, the HC bench in the order appointed Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury, a retired judge of the Supreme Court, as the independent director-cum chairman of the company (BIFC) to preside over the company's board meetings and AGMs (annual general meetings).
It also appointed four other independent directors of the company. They are former agriculture secretary Shamol Kanti Ghosh, Dhaka University teacher Dr Md Jamil Sharif, Ex vice president of ICAB Md Mahamud Hossain, and Md Shahadat Hussain, firmer member of the national wage and productivity commission.
The HC said in the order that the court-appointed chairman is entrusted with the power to call, conduct and hold a board meeting of the company at his earliest convenience upon consultation with the advocates of the parties and all the members of the board.
The court also asked the governor of the Bangladesh Bank to do the needful to give effect to the Board of Director of Bangladesh Industrial Finance Company Limited at his earliest convenience.
Lawyer Omar Farouq appeared for Tees Mart Inc. and lawyers Hasan Azim, Mahfuzur Rahman Milon and Md Saiful Islam Saif argued for BIFC during hearing of the petition.
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