Home
+
Published : 11 Jul 2025, 05:11 PM
A court has sent economist and former Janata Bank chairman Abul Barkat to jail in a loan fraud case over Tk 2.97 billion provided to the AnonTex Group.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Jewel Rana issued the order on Friday based on a petition from the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
Barkat was brought to the court on Friday afternoon by ACC Assistant Director and investigating official Mohammad Shahjahan Miraz and was kept in the lock-up around 2:30pm.
Around 2:50pm, he was brought to the court dock and sat on a bench. His daughter and other family members were next to him. Barkat occasionally took his grandson in his lap. He was also seen speaking to others.
The court began the proceedings at 3:35pm.
ACC Prosecutor Rezaul Karim told the court, "In the case of embezzling Tk 2.97 billion, the investigating officer has petitioned for him to be remanded to police custody for three days of questioning. I pray that his remand be granted."
On behalf of Barkat, his lawyer Abdul Awal opposed the remand petition and applied for bail.
During the hearing, he said, "He (Barkat) is an old, sick man. His physical condition is very poor, and the case regarding this was settled in 2022. This year, a case has come up again on the same matter. I pray that the remand be cancelled. If necessary, he should be questioned at the jail gate."
The lawyer also applied for division privileges for Barkat.
The ACC prosecutor then told the court that it did not have the jurisdiction to hear bail or remand petitions in such cases and that such matters can be raised in the Metropolitan Sessions Special Judge Court.
At that time, the judge asked: "Then why did you come here?"
The ACC lawyer could not give a proper answer to the question.
Later, the court ordered Barkat to be sent to jail.
When asked why the ACC came to this court even though it did not have jurisdiction to hear bail and remand petitions, Karim said: "We thought the court would give this order on its own initiative. But when it was giving the order, we mentioned the matter to the court. The court has sent the accused to jail. The remand and bail petitions will be heard later in the Metro Sessions Special Judge Court."
The ACC's remand application said, "The case is related to embezzlement and forgery. It is necessary to take the accused on remand and interrogate him to find out whether anyone else is involved."
After the hearing, Barkat was taken from the court to the jail around 3:50pm. When asked by reporters, he said, "Be well. I am a teacher."
Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Detective Branch (DB) police arrested Barkat from his home on Road No. 3 in Dhanmondi on Thursday night.
On Feb 20, ACC Deputy Director Nazmul Hussain filed a case against former Bangladesh Bank governor Atiur Rahman and 23 others on charges of embezzling Tk 2.97 billion from Janata Bank in the name of the AnonTex Group through fraud.
According to the case dossier, M/s Suprabha Spinning Limited, an affiliate of Anontex Group, took loans from Janata Bank at various times between Feb 5, 2013 to December 2024. However, the disbursement of large sums mainly took place during the period 2013-14, when former president of the Bangladesh Economic Association Barkat was the chairman of Janata Bank.
Barkat, an economics teacher at Dhaka University, first took the post on Sept 9, 2009. He was the chairman of the bank for a second term until September 2014.
It is alleged that Janata Bank, which was once financially stable, became weak under Barakat.
The other accused in the case are Jamal Uddin Ahmed, former director of Janata Bank, and M/s Suprabha Spinning Limited's Managing Director Md Anwar Hossain and Director Md Abu Talha, Janata Bank branch manager and general manager (later managing director and CEO) Abdus Salam Azad, former deputy general manager Ajmul Haque, former assistant general manager (AGM) Ajay Kumar Ghosh, former manager (industrial loan-1) Md Golam Azam, SME Department executive engineer Md Shahjahan, SEO Md Emdadul Haque, former deputy general manager Md Abdul Jabbar, former general manager and former deputy managing director (DMD) Md Golam Faruk, former deputy managing director Omar Faruk, FCA Md Imdadul Haque, Nagibul Islam Dipu, RM Debnath, Md Abu Naser, Sangita Ahmed, and Nitai Chandra Nath.
In addition, the list of accused includes the Chairman and Managing Director of Anontex Group Md Yunus Badal, former assistant director of Bangladesh Bank Ismat Ara Begum, and former deputy governor Abu Hena Mohammad Razi Hasan.
According to the case dossier, M/s Suprabha Spinning Limited claimed the land as theirs and mortgaged it to the bank by showing its establishment there before it took ownership of the land. Even though there was no establishment or factory on that land, the accused evaluated the application through “collusion, fraud, false documents, and forgery”.
The land, worth around Tk 30.5 million without establishments, was evaluated at approximately Tk 1.65 billion. It is alleged in the case that the accused have embezzled Tk 2.97 billion from Janata Bank by approving, disbursing and accepting loans through this fraud.
The case highlights the role of those involved, and says that prime suspect Suprabha MD Anwar was “assisted” by 20 other suspects in inflating the value of the land and buildings.
The ACC alleges that former Janata Bank Chairman Barkat and other senior officials at the bank misused their power to help “provide loans and embezzle them”.
