Probe against S Alam Group
SC defers hearing on plea to Jan 15
FE REPORT | Tuesday, 9 January 2024
The apex court on Monday deferred until January 15 its hearing on a petition filed seeking stay on a High Court order that instructed to investigate allegations against the owner of S Alam Group.
S Alam Group's owner Mohammad Saiful Alam is said to amass an obscene amount of assets abroad without the Bangladesh Bank's permission.
A four-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Justice Borhanuddin set the new date.
The court opined that it would hearing the issue in the presence of the chief justice, said lawyer Saifullah Mamun, one of the counsels of S Alam Group.
SC sources said Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan went to his native village, Netrokona, to cast his vote on Sunday.
He came back to Dhaka but could not sit in the court on Monday for judicial work.
On 23 August 2023, the Chamber Judge of the Appellate Division ordered to maintain status quo till January 08 upon the subject matter of the HC order that asked the authorities concerned to conduct inquiry into the allegations against S Alam Group owner.
Justice M Enayetur Rahim, the then chamber judge, passed the order after hearing a petition filed by the S Alam Group seeking a stay on the HC order.
He also sent the matter to the regular Appellate Division bench for detail hearing on it on that day. On August 21, Mr Alam and his wife Farzana Parveen submitted the petition to the Appellate Division seeking stay on the High Court order.
On August 06, the High Court directed the authorities concerned to conduct inquiry into the allegations against S Alam Group regarding the transfer and investment of huge amount of money abroad without permission from the Bangladesh Bank.
The Anti-Corruption Commission, the Bangladesh Financial Intelligent Unit and the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Police were asked to comply with the direction. They were also asked to submit inquiry report to the HC within two months.
The HC bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Khizir Hayat passed the order on a suo motu move after considering a report published in an English daily on 04 August 2023 headlined 'S Alam's Aladdin's Lamp'.
SC lawyer Syed Sayedul Haque Suman placed the report before the HC bench seeking necessary directives.