Noman Sabit: The news of Awami League leader Abul Kashem’s arrest at Dhaka airport has started a stir in New York. Abul Kashem, the chairman of the proposed People’s Bank and one of the vice-presidents of the Awami League, was trying to escape to the United States with Tk 100 crore. He was arrested by immigration police at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport last Wednesday at midnight. When this news spread quickly, the Awami League family, including the Bangladeshis living in the United States, started a commotion.
Arrested Awami League leader Abul Kashem has been living in Brooklyn, New York for a long time. He took thousands of dollars from Bangladeshi expatriates in New York with the promise of giving a partnership in the recently proposed People’s Bank. At such a time, the victims are disappointed with the news of his arrest.
Abul Kashem was arrested at Dhaka Airport a few hours after being banned from traveling abroad in a case of money laundering last Wednesday. The immigration police handed over Abul Kashem to the CID on Thursday morning. After that, when he was sent to the court asking for remand, the judge fixed June 25 for the hearing. Also ordered to send Abul Kashem to jail. Chairman of e-commerce company Alesha Mart on Wednesday in the case of money laundering. Manzoor Alam Shikdar along with four people, one of them Abul Kashem, was banned by the court from traveling abroad. He is one of the vice-presidents of the United States Awami League.
The other two who were banned from leaving the country are Sadia Chowdhury, wife of Alesha Mart’s managing director and Manzoor Alam, and the owner of SK Traders, the company that supplies motorcycles to Alesha Mart. Al Mamun. Abul Kashem has been arrested but others are absconding.
According to a complaint in this case, Manzoor Alam gave Tk 100 crore to Abul Kashem, the chairman of the bank, for getting the directorship of the proposed People’s Bank Limited and for investing in the stock market.
Meanwhile, United States Awami League leader Abul Kashem is a close friend of expatriate Nizam Chowdhury, former chairman of NRB Global Bank and current chairman of Global Islami Bank. While he was chairman, his bank’s former MD PK Halder also diverted large sums of money from three other financial institutions, including NRB Global. In all, he was arrested by the Indian police for irregularities and corruption of at least three and a half thousand rupees. He is currently detained in Kolkata jail. After the arrest of Abul Kashem, another Awami League leader, former NRB Global Bank and the current chairman of Global Islami Bank expatriate Nizam Chowdhury, there is a storm of discussion about money laundering.
BP/SM
