Dhaka court summons three IOs

A Dhaka court on Thursday summoned three officers who investigated 16 corruption cases filed over the Basic Bank loan scams, seeking explanations over some flaws in the probes.
The officers are Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Director Mohammad Morshed Alam, and Deputy Directors Mohammad Ibrahim and Md Sirajul Haque, who submitted charge sheets after investigation.
Judge of the Special Judge's Court-1 in Dhaka, Abul Kashem, passed the order after a hearing on the charge sheets and some bail petitions filed by some of the accused. ACC Public Prosecutor Mahmud Hossain Jahangir confirmed the court order to the FE.
The prosecutor said that the ACC filed 60 cases in connection with the loan irregularities, but no board members of the bank were named as accused, except its former chairman Sheikh Abdul Hye Bachchu, despite a number of investigations indicating their involvement.
Mohammad Ibrahim, who pressed charges against Bachchu and 34 others in 13 cases, was ordered to appear before the court on February 3. Mohammad Morshed Alam, who investigated two cases, was summoned to appear on February 5 and Mohammad Sirajul Haque, who investigated another case and submitted a charge sheet against Bachchu, was also asked to appear on February 5.
Five investigation officers, including the three, investigated all the 60 graft cases and submitted charge sheets against Bachchu and others.
After receiving their explanations, the judge will decide whether charges should be framed against Bachchu and 146 others in connection with 59 cases, the prosecutor said.
On June 12, 2023, the ACC submitted charge sheets against Bachchu and 146 others on charges of embezzling Tk 22.65 billion. However, the commission did not implicate the then board members, who were in charge of the bank when the massive embezzlement occurred between 2009 and 2013.
During this period, Tk 45.00 billion was swindled from the bank, with more than 95 per cent of the loans sanctioned by the board.

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