The Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police arrested economist Dr Abul Barkat in the Dhanmondi area of Dhaka on Thursday night, July 10.
DMP Joint Commissioner Nashirul Islam confirmed to Jago News that the arrest occurred around 11:30pm.
Abul Barkat, former chairman of Janata Bank and president of the Bangladesh Economic Association, was detained in connection with a graft case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
The case, initiated on February 20, 2025, also names former Bangladesh Bank governor Atiur Rahman and 21 others, accusing them of embezzling over Tk 297.34 crore from Janata Bank’s corporate branch in Dhaka, allegedly in collaboration with AnonTex Group.
According to the ACC, the accused colluded to commit fraud and forgery, creating false records to siphon off funds.
The allegations include securing loans by misrepresenting nonexistent buildings or factories on mortgaged land and overvaluing land without structures to obtain the funds.