None of the two alleged scamsters of 1996 share market is yet to be nabbed despite the arrest warrant issued by the capital market Special Tribunal against them two weeks back, officials said.
"They are top officials of Chic Textiles", court sources said.
Earlier in 1997, they had reportedly faced another arrest warrant from the court of Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate. Later, they obtained bail in the share scam case.
The recently formed Special Tribunal issued the arrest warrant on June 28 as Chic officials 'didn't appear before the court,' the sources said.
The special court started trial against the absconding accused persons in a criminal case, which, along with such other cases, was earlier transferred to it from the judge court.
"The Special Tribunal asked the Motijheel Police Station to comply with the arrest warrant as the debacle occurred at the area under it (police station)," Advocate Md. Masud Rana Khan, counsel of the securities regulator, told the FE Saturday.
"The arrest warrant is still in force. However, the tribunal didn't set any timeframe to comply with the warrant," Mr Khan said.
Assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Helal Uddin, a warrant officer, at the Motijheel Police Station said Saturday, "We are yet to get such arrest warrant."
When contacted, a source at the Special Tribunal said Saturday, "We have sent a copy of the arrest warrant to the respective police station. It is supposed to reach the thana (police station) by this time."
An official said that the accused persons might have changed their address in the meantime.
In the case filed against the alleged 1996 share market manipulators, the Special Tribunal has already recorded deposition of first witness MA Rashid Khan, former executive director of the securities regulator, Mr Khan said.
The lawyer also said, "The court fixed July 26 for recording deposition of the second witness-- investigation officer (IO) in the case,"
The Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) filed the criminal case, along with 14 others, in 1997 on charge of manipulating share prices through 'fraudulent' means in 1996.
The much-talked about cases were filed under Section 17 of the Securities and Exchange Ordinance (SEO)-1969 following recommendations made by a four-member enquiry committee on March 27, 1997.
After filing of the cases, the court of Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate issued arrest warrants against 32 owners and officials, including the duo, of 15 companies, brokers and dealers on April 2, 1997.
Later, they obtained bail from the court on different occasions, sources said.
The Special Tribunal, housed on the 9th floor at Bangladesh House Building Finance Corporation (BHBFC) building in the Purana Paltan area, started its formal judicial function last month.
The government formed this Special Tribunal in Dhaka through a gazette notification in January of 2014 aiming to expedite the settlement of share market-related cases.
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