A Dhaka court has sent economist Dr Abul Barkat to jail in a graft case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
The court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Jewel Rana passed the order on Friday afternoon, July 11, after the police produced him before the court, seeking his confinement in prison.
Investigation officer of the case and ACC assistant director Mohammad Shahjahan Miraj confirmed the matter.
The Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) arrested Dr Abul Barkat, former chairman of Janata Bank and president of the Bangladesh Economic Association, in the capital's Dhanmondi area on Thursday night, July 10, in connection with a graft case filed by the 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.
MIN/MSU