DHAKA: The Supreme Court has issued an order that Jatiya Party’s MP Shawkat Ali Chowdhury’s bail would be scrapped if he fails to pay Tk. 5 crore to state-owned Bangladesh Commerce Bank Limited within two months.

The bench of Appellate Division of the SC, headed by Acting Chief Justice Abdul Wahhab Miah, passed the order on Monday (December 04).

Earlier on October 29, the apex court stayed the High Court order for three more weeks. The HC had granted bail to Shawkat Ali Chowdhury in two cases filed over loans taken from the Bangladesh Commerce Bank.

Shawkat Ali Chowdhury is a Member of Parliament elected from Nilphamari-4 constituency with a Jatiya Party (Ershad) ticket. He is also member of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance Ministry.

On November 22, the High Court issued a rule asking the authorities concerned to explain in 10 days why it shall not revoke MP Shawkat Ali Chowdhury's bail in two cases lodged over loan fraud.

The HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Shahidul Karim also asked MP Shawkat to pay Tk 25 crore to Bangladesh Commerce Bank within 50 days.

According to the lawyer, the capital of the bank is around Tk 200 crore, half of which has been embezzled by Shawkat Ali and others. He drew this money through letters of credit in the name of three companies.

On May 08, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed two cases with Bangshal Police Station in the city against nine persons, including Shawkat Ali over the matter. The then managing director of Bangladesh Commerce Bank MdAsaduzzaman, the then manager of Bangshal Branch Habibul Gani were also accused in the cases.

Shawkat Ali, also Managing Director of M/S Jamuna Agro Chemical Ltd, allegedly misappropriated Tk 94 crore from the branch. The parliamentarian in collusion with the other accused took the amount illegally during the period between December 2012 and March 2015, according to the case statement.

BDST: 1035 HRS, DEC 04, 2017
EHJ