FE REPORT
The High Court on Sunday refused to entertain an appeal for recalling its August 6 order that had directed the authorities concerned to conduct inquiry into the allegations against S Alam Group owner Mohammad Saiful Alam regarding the transfer and investment of huge amount of money abroad without permission from the Bangladesh Bank.
Barrister Ajmalul Hossain, a counsel for S Alam Group, placed a verbal appeal before the HC bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Khizir Hayat that had issued the order and rule on a Suo motu (on its own motion) move.
The bench told Ajmalul that its order has already been signed and therefore, there is no scope for recalling it, said Anti-Corruption Commission lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan, who was present at the courtroom during the proceedings.
Advocate Mohammad Saifullah Mamun, another lawyer for S Alam Group, said they would now move a formal application before the HC against its August 6 ruling.
Verbal petition came just three days after S Alam served a legal notice on the government and four national dailies essentially demanding that these newspapers publish no news on him or his business operations.
On August 6, the same High Court bench directed the authorities concerned to conduct inquiry into the allegations against S Alam Group owner Mohammad Saiful Alam regarding the transfer and investment of huge amount of money abroad without permission from the Bangladesh Bank.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), the Bangladesh Financial Intelligent Unit (BFIU) and the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Police have been asked to comply with the direction. The organizations have to submit inquiry report to the HC within two months.
The High Court bench passed the order after considering a report published in an English daily on August 4 under the headline "S Alam's Aladdin's Lamp".
Supreme Court lawyer Syed Sayedul Haque Suman placed the newspaper report before the HC bench seeking necessary directives. Lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan on behalf of the ACC and Deputy Attorney General Md Saifuddin Khaled representing the state were also present in the court.
According to the published report, S Alam Group owner Saiful Alam has built a business empire in Singapore worth at least about $1 billion, although there is no record of him taking any permission from Bangladesh Bank to invest or transfer any funds abroad.
The Bangladesh central bank has so far allowed 17 companies to invest outside the country, and this Chattogram-based business giant is not on that list.
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