HC asks to probe money laundering by NBL board members

Staff Reporter :
The High Court on Tuesday directed the concerned bodies of the government to probe into the allegations of corruption and money laundering by the members of the board of directors of the National Bank Limited (NBL) using international credit cards.
Bangladesh Bank Governor, Bangladesh Financial Intellegent Unit (BFIU), Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Police and the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) have been asked to comply with the direction and submit a report in the court on January 15 in 2023.
The High Court bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Khizir Hayat passed the order after hearing on a writ petition filed by Chowdhury Hasan Muhammad Abdullah, a Supreme Court lawyer and also a shareholder of the National Bank.
 The court also issued a rule upon the concerned bodies of the government to explain in four weeks as to why the respondents should not be directed to take appropriate legal action against the Managing Director of the National Bank and its board of directors for their involvement with corruption and money laundering using credit cards.
Lawyers Mansurul Haque Chowdhury and Mahfuz Chowdhury Bapon appeared in the court hearing on behalf of the writ petitioners, while Deputy Attorney General AKM Amin Uddin Manik represented the state.
According to the writ petition, “Some very specific allegations have been made that the members of the board of directors of the National Bank Limited and their family members by misusing their positions laundered money through corruption. A number of newspapers published news alleging money laundering, corruption and various irregularities in management by the board of directors.”
“News also published that the Bangladesh Bank conducted a special inspection against the allegations by the board of directors and found that the members of the board of directors and their family members using 11 credit cards issued by the Managing Director of the bank corruptedly laundered money amounting US Dollar 13.63 million in the years 2017 to 2021,” also read the petition.
Chowdhury Hasan Muhammad Abdullah on December 1 this year sent a legal notice to the respondents requesting them to take appropriate legal action against the Managing Director of the National Bank and its board of directors for their involvement with corruption and money laundering using credit cards immediately.
Since they did not get any response over the issue, he filed a writ petition with the High Court on Sunday last seeking necessary redress.