Former chairman Bachchu seeks anticipatory bail in BASIC bank loan scam cases
Sheikh Abdul Hye Bachchu filed the petition on Wednesday
BASIC Bank's former chairman Sheikh Abdul Hye Bachchu filed a petition with the High Court on Wednesday, seeking anticipatory bail in 58 cases filed over money embezzlement through loan scams.
The High Court bench of Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam and Justice Md Aminul Islam was scheduled to hear the bail application on Thursday, but the plea was not presented before it, said Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan.
Hearing on this application may be held next week, he said, adding that he was ready to represent the ACC at the court to argue against the bail plea.
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In the anticipatory bail application, Bachchu has claimed that he is wrongly accused in 58 cases, according to court sources.
He has further claimed in the petition that the police are harassing him and conducted a search operation at his house.
ACC lawyer Khurshid Alam said police have no jurisdiction in the ACC case, but the ACC can arrest him any time.
On 12 June this year, the ACC approved the charge sheet against 146 people, including the bank's former chairman Sheikh Abdul Hye Bachchu, in 59 cases filed for embezzlement of BASIC Bank's money.
According to the ACC sources, the court banned Sheikh Abdul Hye Bachchu from travelling abroad on 15 June in view of the probe agency's application. Bachchu is trying to flee the country, said sources.
The ACC sent a letter in this regard to the Special Branch (SB) of the police.
The letter requested the Special Branch Superintendent of Police to take necessary action to prevent him from going abroad.
It is said that evidence has been found in the records of the case against several accused including Sheikh Abdul Hye Bachchu for embezzlement of Tk2,268 crore of BASIC Bank including loan fraud.
Meanwhile, the court yesterday set 7 September to announce its decision on whether it will accept the charge sheet against Bachchu and four others in a case of embezzlement of money from Basic Bank.
The investigation officer of the case has applied to the court for the arrest warrant and remand of these four accused who could not secure bail from any court in the country. Deputy Director of the ACC in charge of the investigation, Zahirul Huda, filed the charge sheet against them in the Senior Special Judge's Court in Dhaka on 12 June.
