Warrant issued against ex-FM Morshed Khan

A Dhaka money loan court has issued an arrest warrant against former foreign minister M Morshed Khan, also the founder and chairman of Citycell, in a loan recovery case filed by Mutual Trust Bank (MTB) PLC.

Arrest warrants have also been issued against four officials of Pacific Bangladesh Telecom Limited (PBTL), the now-defunct mobile operator that ran Citycell.

They are directors Asghar Karim and Nasreen Khan, acting chief financial officer Md Farikul Hasan, listed as a grantor, and chief executive officer Mehboob Chowdhury.

Artha Rin Adalat No. 7 issued the warrants on September 23 in a Money Execution Case under Section 34(1) of the Artha Rin Adalat Ain, 2003.

Under the provision, a judgment debtor who fails to comply with a court decree may face civil detention for up to six months.

The court instructed the officer-in-charge of Gulshan Police Station, through the Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner, to arrest the five and produce them before the court by November 18.

The warrants mention Pacific Centre, Mohakhali C/A, as their address. The court documents did not specify the outstanding amount.

As the case is at the execution stage, a decree has already been issued and the bank is now seeking to enforce it.

Detention under Section 34 is a legal measure intended to compel repayment and is not a criminal punishment.

PBTL, the country’s first mobile operator, ceased operations in 2016 after failing to pay dues ordered by the telecom regulator.

The company was also listed in Parliament among Bangladesh’s top 20 loan defaulters as of December 2025.

MTB has said it will pursue all legal avenues to recover classified loans.

After the borrowers failed to repay the loans, the bank filed a case with the Money Loan Court on July 5, 2018, seeking Tk 68.76 crore in outstanding dues.

MTB Managing Director and CEO Syed Mahbubur Rahman said the bank would pursue every legal avenue to recover the money.

“Nobody is above the law, so we will take legal action against loan defaulters, especially wilful defaulters,” he said.

“This is depositors’ money, which is why we will have to recover it,” Rahman said, adding that the bank is taking several legal measures, including seeking arrest warrants and travel bans against wilful defaulters.