A Dhaka court has sentenced Bismillah Group's Managing Director (MD) Khawaja Soleman Anwar Chowdhury, his wife and the group’s Chairman Nowrin Habib, along with six others, to 12 years imprisonment for money laundering.
Judge Mohammad Abdullah Al Mamun of Dhaka's Special Judge Court-5 issued the verdict on Thursday, February 27.
The other convicted individuals include Soleman’s father, Shafiqul Anwar Chowdhury, Bismillah Group's Deputy Managing Director Akbar Aziz Muttaqi, General Manager Mohammad Abul Hossain Chowdhury, Manager Riaz Ahmed Uddin Shafi, Chairman of Network Freight System Ltd. Md. Akhtar Hossain, and former Deputy Managing Director of Jamuna Bank Ltd. Mozammel Hossain.
In addition to their prison sentences, the court imposed a fine of BDT 248.85 Crore (twice the laundered amount of Tk 124.42 Crore) on those found guilty.
They have been ordered to deposit the fine amount into the state treasury within 60 days, failing which they will face an additional one-year imprisonment.
The court also ordered the confiscation of all immovable and movable properties owned by the convicted individuals.
As they remain absconding, the court issued arrest warrants against them along with their sentencing orders.
Meanwhile, former Senior Assistant Vice Presidents of Jamuna Bank Ltd., Md. Morshedur Rahman and S.M. Zahidul Islam, were acquitted as the allegations against them were not proven.
According to the case, the accused, including Khawaja Soleman Anwar Chowdhury, generated illicit income amounting to BDT 132.77 Crore through funded and non-funded schemes. They laundered $129.87 million by not repatriating the proceeds of 132 letters of credit (LCs) under the guise of exports.
The case was initially filed Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Deputy Assistant Director Al-Amin with Motijheel Police Station on November 3, 2013.
After an investigation, the charge sheet was submitted to the court on June 17, 2015, and formal charges were framed against the accused on July 30 of the same year.
MAL/SH
