Hallmark MD denies doing wrong

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Tk 3.85b in cash realised from SB branch
Hallmark Group Managing Director (MD) Tanvir Mahmud Sunday dismissed the allegation of taking loan showing fake documents from Sonali Bank, reports UNB.
"I've taken loan from Sonali Bank following its existing rules...I admit I've taken loan and I'll return it, but I need time," he told reporters after his interrogation by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) at its headquarters in the afternoon.
Denying his involvement in any corruption, Tanvir said, "I've no involvement in graft…I don't do anything wrong. I've taken loan from the bank for my business."
Claiming that he has no fake company, Tanvir said that all his companies are operating in the country with some 40,000 workers.
Meanwhile, the ACC quizzed his wife Jasmine Islam, also chairman of Hallmark, and general manager Tushar Ahmed over the Tk 35 billion loan scam.
An ACC investigation team started questioning them at 2:00 am and continued it until 5:00 pm, ACC Public Relations Officer Pranab Kumar Bhattacharya told reporters at the ACC in the afternoon.
Earlier, on Sunday, the corruption watchdog also interrogated three top officials of DN Sports Limited over the Sonali Bank scam.
The ACC investigation team grilled DN Sports Limited Chairman Motaharuddin Chowdhury, Managing Director Shafiqur Rahman John and Director Fahmida Akhter Chowdhury, also wife of Shafiqur Rahman, at the ACC headquarters in the city.
DN Sports is accused of taking loan of Tk 332.50 million from Sonali Bank's Ruposhi Bangla Hotel branch showing fake documents from the bank.
Apart from Sunday's interrogation, the commission grilled 22 officials of Sonali Bank and four executives of Hallmark Group in connection with the huge loan scandal.
The ACC will interrogate two deputy managing directors of Sonali Bank, Mainul Hasan and Atiqur Rahman, in this connection today (Monday), Pranab said.
On July 26, the ACC formed a six-member investigation team headed by its Deputy Director Mir Joynal Abedin Shibli after receiving a letter from the Bangladesh Bank on July 15.
Earlier, an investigation by the Bangladesh Bank found the Ruposhi Bangla Hotel branch of Sonali Bank responsible for illegally disbursing a loan of Tk 35.47 billion to Hallmark Group and five other companies between 2010 and May this year.
Of the total loan, Hallmark Group alone took Tk 26.86 billion while T and Brothers taking Tk 6.09 billion, Paragon Group Tk 1.46 billion, Nakshi Knit Tk 663.60 million, DN Sports Tk 332.50 million and Khanjahan Ali Tk 49.60 million.
An FE Report adds: The Sonali Bank authorities have realised Tk 3.85 billion in cash of the embezzled Tk 26 billion by Hallmark Group from the bank's Ruposhi Bangla Hotel branch through false LC (letter of credit) documents.
The Hallmark Group has also submitted documents of 47 acres of land as mortgage.
Besides, process is underway to get documents of 13 acres of land. But the authorities have formed three investigation committees for examining this land and documents.
The revelation came from an emergency meeting of the Sonali Bank board of directors Sunday with its Chairman Quazi Baharul Islam in the chair. Sonali Bank Director Kashem Humayun spoke to the reporters after the meeting. Other diretors and the MD were present in the meeting.