Loan scam: JP MP Shawkat ordered to pay Tk 5cr to BCBL in 2 months

The Supreme Court today ordered Jatiya Party lawmaker Shawkat Chowdhury to return Tk five crore to Bangladesh Commerce Bank Ltd (BCBL) in two months.

The apex court said if Shawkat Chowdhury does not return the money in the stipulated time his bail in loan scam cases will be cancelled.

A five-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Justice Md Abdul Wahhab Miah, who is carrying out responsibilities of the chief justice, passed the order after modifying a HC directive.

The apex court came up with the order after hearing two petitions filed by Shawkat seeking extension of his stay order on HC directive and by ACC seeking cancellation of the stay order.

Shawkat Chowdhury has to pay Tk five crore in two months after receiving the SC order otherwise his bail will be cancelled, ACC lawyer Advocate Khurshid Alom Khan told The Daily Star.

On October 22, the HC directed Shawkat to pay Tk 25 crore to BCBL in 50 days.

In failure to comply within 50 days after receiving the order, Shawkat's bail in the cases, filed over misappropriation of Tk 94 crore as loan from the bank, will automatically be cancelled, the HC said in the order.  

On May 8 and 10 last year, the ACC filed two cases in Dhaka against Shawkat, lawmaker from Nilphamari; Mohammad Asaduzzaman, the then managing director of BCBL; HabibulGani, the then manager of BCBL Bangshal branch; and six others.

According to the case statements, Shawkat, also managing director of JamunaAgro Chemical Ltd, with the connivance of the other accused, allegedly misappropriated Tk 94 crore from a branch of BCBL between 2012 and 2015.