Trial of graft case against PK Halder, 13 others begins

A Dhaka court has framed charges against former managing director of NRB Global Bank Proshanta Kumar Halder alias PK Halder and 13 others in a case filed for allegedly amassing illegal wealth and laundering money abroad.

As a result of framing charges, trial of graft case against PK Halder, 13 has begun.

Judge Mohammad Nazrul Islam of Dhaka Special Judge Court-10 framed the charge against the accused on Thursday (September 8).

The court also set September 22 for the testimony of the case.

Apart from Halder, the other 13 accused in the case are- Lilabati Halder, Purnima Rani Halder, Uttam Kumar Mistry, Amitabh Adhikari, Pritish Kumar Halder, Rajib Som, Subrata Das, Ananga Mohan Roy, Swapan Kumar Mistry, Avantika Baral, Shankha Bepari, Sukumar Mridha and Anindita Mridha.

Among them, Avantika Baral, Shankha Bepari, Sukumar Mridha and Anindita Mridha are in jail. Today, they pleaded not guilty and demanded justice.

PK Halder and nine others were shown “fugitives” in the charge sheet and charges were framed against them in their absence.

The judge issued arrest warrants against PK Hakder and nine others.

According to the case, Halder and his other associates have embezzled thousands of crores of Bangladeshi Taka and siphoned off to India and other countries.

He had laundered about Tk 80 crore to Canada and amassed about Tk 426 crore beyond his known sources of income, the case documents said.