Govt ordered to return Tk 3bn to 2 firms

The High Court has asked the government to return around Tk 3 billion to two companies in the next three months which it held was obtained illegally. RECAST

bdnews24.com
Published : 24 August 2010, 06:27 AM
Updated : 15 March 2017, 08:00 AM

The last caretaker government had realised Tk 2.37 billion from Kafeli Dated Tea & Land Limited and Tk 0.60 billion from S Alam Steel Limited through issuing a total of 54 pay-orders in 2007 and 2008.

In its judgment, the bench of justices Mamnoon Rahman and Syed Afsar Jahan said, "The government has no power to do anything beyond the constitution and that it has to apply its power constitutionally."

It pointed to article 81, 82 and 83 of the Constitution which set out clear ground as to when money can be exacted by the government.

"So, the realisation of the money from the two institutions was illegal and beyond the government's jurisdiction."

Plaintiff's lawyer Abdul Baset Majumder told bdnews24.com, "Bangladesh Bank had taken the money from the two companies. Intelligence agencies had obtained the money by threatening the two companies. The money was given to Bangladesh Bank and it was asked to give the money back."

Assistant Attorney General Rashed Jahangir stood for the government while barrister Amir-Ul-Islam argued for Bangladesh Bank.