The prosecution has moved to cancel the bail of 12 accused in the high-profile Tk 568 crore embezzlement case linked to the Market Development Fund (MDF) of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC).
A petition was filed on Monday in the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge Md Sabbir Foyez, which has set November 13 for hearing. The filing was confirmed by Public Prosecutor Omar Faruk Faruki.
The 12 individuals, Syed Moinul Haque, Brig Gen (retd) Md Abdul Hannan, Ashiq Ahmed, Gazi Md
Salahuddin, Hafizur Rahman, Khalid Islam, Md Mahtabul Amin, Sohel
Sharif, Tajin Alam, Nadir Shah Qureshi, Mir Nasir Hossain, and Musfiq
Monzur, were previously granted bail on October 27 by the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court.
All are members of the International Gateway Operators Forum (IOF), an industry group chaired by Salman F Rahman, the Prime Minister’s Adviser on Private Industry and Investment.
The case was filed on September 18 with Gulshan Police Station by Tawfiqul Islam, Senior Assistant Director of BTRC. It names 27 accused, including Salman F Rahman and his two sons—Ahmed Sohel Fasihur Rahman and Sayan F Rahman.
According to the charge statement, the IOF, under Salman F Rahman’s leadership, allegedly diverted funds collected from International Gateway (IGW) operators meant for national telecom infrastructure development. Instead, the money was funneled to Beximco Computers Ltd—a company without a valid IGW license—under the name of the Market Development Fund.
Investigators alleged that operators were pressured into making monthly payments, amounting to approximately Tk 568 crore over several years, effectively turning a public development fund into a private revenue stream.
Court to Hear Revocation Plea Soon
If the prosecution succeeds in having the bail canceled, the 12 accused may be taken into custody as the investigation continues. The Economic Crime Division is examining bank records, corporate transactions, and internal communications to trace the movement of funds.
MAL/HKJ
