Compensation to Jahalam: Brac Bank seeks stay on HC order

Brac Bank has appealed to the Appellate Division seeking a stay on a High Court order to pay Tk15 lakh compensation to Jahalam, a jute mill worker who was wrongfully put behind bars for three years in several loan fraud cases.

Lawyer, Mohammad Asaduzzaman filed the application on behalf of Brac Bank on Monday.

On 30 September, a High Court bench of Justice FRM Nazmul Ahasan and Justice KM Kamrul Kader ordered Brac Bank to give Tk15 lakh compensation to Jahalam.

"Brac Bank must give the compensation within a month of receiving the copy of the verdict. And they must notify the Supreme Court's Registrar General Office within one week of paying the compensation," according to the verdict.

Brac Bank was fined as two of its officials identified Jahalam as Abu Salek – who reportedly embezzled Tk18 crore from Sonali Bank.

In 2012, the ACC filed 33 cases against a man named Salek over the embezzlement of a large sum of money from Brac Bank and Sonali Bank by fraudulent cheques.

According to the case statement, the embezzled money was then transferred to different accounts of 33 branches in 18 public and private banks.

However, Jahalam was shown arrested in 26 cases, even though the police had indicted Salek in those cases. 

Jahalam's plight came to light when a national daily ran a report titled "Wrongfully accused in 33 cases, I'm Jahalam, not Salek."

The HC later issued a suo moto rule and heard the explanations of four people in the 26 cases, including the representative of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) chairman.

Earlier on 11 July last year, the ACC submitted a report to the HC explaining that Jahalam had been wrongfully accused in 26 cases.

The report detailed the negligence of the ACC and bank officials, and the involvement of a gang of embezzlers.

The HC granted bail to Jahalam and continued the hearing on updates of the ACC investigation.