Staff- Reporter: A Dhaka court has fixed March 3 for the next testimony against 11 people including former Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha.

This day has been fixed for testimony in the case of embezzlement of money with a loan of Tk 4 crore from Farmers Bank (now Padma Bank). Judge Sheikh Nazmul Alam of Dhaka's Special Judge's Court-4 on Sunday (February 14th) ordered the court to set a date.

The case was scheduled to be heard on that day. However, as no witness appeared in court, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) appealed for time. The court granted the application and fixed a new date.

Out of 21 witnesses in the case, 16 have completed their testimony. Earlier on August 13, Judge Sheikh Nazmul Alam Sinha of Dhaka Special Judge's Court-4 framed charges against 11 people.

On February 20 last year, Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge KM Imrul Kayesh ordered the case to be transferred to Dhaka Special Judge-4.

The chargesheet was filed in the court on December 10, 2020 by the investigating officer of the case, ACC director Benazir Ahmed. Earlier, the commission meeting on December 4 approved chargesheets against 11 people.

Among the accused in the case is the former chairman of the audit committee of Farmers Bank Limited. Mahbubul Haque Chishti (Babul Chishti) in jail, former MD of Farmers Bank AKM Shamim, First Vice President Swapan Kumar Roy, Vice President Md. Lutful Haque, former SEVP Gazi Salahuddin, Tangail resident. Shahjahan and Niranjan Chandra Saha, a resident of the same area, are out on bail.

Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha, Safiuddin Askari, first vice-president of Farmers Bank, Ranjit Chandra Saha and his wife Santri Roy are absconding.

The name of one accused has been dropped from the chargesheet at the Evidence Fair as dead. A new name has been added.

The case was filed on July 10 at the ACC's integrated district office in Dhaka. ACC director Syed Iqbal Hossain is the plaintiff in the case. ACC chairman Iqbal Mahmud told reporters in October last year that he had received 'evidence' of fraud in taking a loan of Tk 4 crore from two accounts of Farmers Bank.

It is learned that the alleged businessmen Shahjahan and Niranjan got a loan of Tk 4 crore from the Gulshan branch of Farmers Bank. The ACC launched an investigation after receiving allegations that the money had been diverted to Ranjit Chandra Saha and entered into his bank as money for the sale of Justice SK Sinha's house.

The ACC told the media that the agency had filed a case against Sinha in July last year. The case alleges that the former Farmers Bank (now Padma Bank) borrowed Tk 4 crore in the name of others with fake information and later transferred it to SK Sinha's bank.

According to the complaint, money was later laundered from that bank account through transfer and conversion.

The ACC says the investigation into the case has found the allegations to be true. Therefore, on the recommendation of the concerned investigating officer, the charge sheet was approved against 11 people including SK Sinha who are currently stationed abroad. After the investigation, Mahbubul Haque Chishti (Babul Chishti), former chairman of the audit committee of Farmers Bank, has become the new accused.

Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha went on leave in early October 2017 amid heated discussions and criticism after the decision to repeal the 16th amendment to the constitution and some observations. He later sent his resignation letter from abroad.

Sun News