Published : 11 Jul 2025, 06:32 AM
Updated : 21 Aug 2026, 01:30 PM
The Detective Branch of police has former Janata Bank chairman Abul Barkat in Dhaka.
Detective Branch (DB) Joint Commissioner Nasirul Islam said Barkat was taken into custody from his home in Dhanmondi 3 on Thursday night.
He said the arrest was made over a corruption case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
The ACC brought the charges on Feb 25 this year, accusing Barkat and others of embezzling Tk 2.97 billion through loan fraud involving the garment company AnonTex while he was serving as chairman of Janata Bank.
Barkat, a Dhaka University economics professor and former president of the Bangladesh Economic Association (BEA), allegedly oversaw the approval of fraudulent loans during his tenure at the state-owned bank.
Former Bangladesh Bank governor Atiur Rahman and ex-Janata Bank director Jamal Uddin Ahmed are also named among the 23 accused, which includes several senior officials from both institutions.
The case alleges that the loans were approved based on grossly inflated land valuations, leading to large-scale misappropriation of funds.
Barkat was appointed chairman of the Janata Bank on Sept 9, 2009, for a three-year term, while serving as head of the BEA and a faculty member at Dhaka University.
He served two consecutive terms, stepping down in September 2014.
During his tenure, Janata Bank -- once among the better-performing banks -- saw a significant decline in financial health.
