Seven ex-bank officials get life term for graft

A Dhaka court Tuesday sentenced seven former officials of Oriental Bank to life imprisonment in a graft case, report agencies.

Fifth Special Judges Court judge Md Akhtaruzzaman issued the verdict on Tuesday.

The convicts are former vice-chairman Shah Mohammad Harun, senior assistant vice-chairman Abul Kashem Mahmudullah, former senior executive vice-president Mahmud Hossain, former deputy general manager Enamul Haque, and three other officials -- Fazlur Rahman, Tariqul Islam and Kamrul Islam.

Judge Md Akhtaruzzaman sentenced them to another 14 years in jail under two other sections of the law.

They were also fined a total of around Tk 10.8 million.

All the convicts were tried in absentia as they have been on the run since the filing of the case in 2006.

The jail term will be effective from the day of their arrests or surrender.

Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Deputy Director Syed Ahmed filed the case against them at Tejgaon Police Station on Dec 29, 2006, for endorsing loans violating rules and embezzling money.

The chargesheet was filed on Dec 31, 2012.

According to the ACC, 34 cases were filed over embezzlement of an estimated amount of Tk 340 million from the bank in 2005-06. In 2013, investigators submitted chargesheets in eight cases.

In 2009, the Oriental Bank was renamed ICB Islamic Bank.