Sonali Bank withdraws Tk45cr loan default case against Khaleda, Tarique

Bangla Press Desk:   The authorities of Sonali Bank PLC have withdrawn a case against BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman, and 14 others over the alleged default on a Tk45 crore loan taken by Dandy Dyeing Limited, a textile business belonging to the family of the former prime minister.

Confirming the matter, Khaleda Zia’s lawyer, Mostaq Ahmed Koel, told the media that Dhaka Artha Rin Adalat-1 passed the order on 11 November in response to a petition filed by the Sonali Bank authorities.

Sonali Bank’s panel lawyer, Advocate Jahangir Hossain, said that they submitted the petition seeking withdrawal of the case after receiving full repayment, which the court granted.

According to case documents, Sonali Bank Senior Executive Officer Nazrul Islam filed a money loan recovery case with Dhaka Artha Rin Adalat-1 on 2 October 2013, accusing Dandy Dyeing Ltd of defaulting on the loan.

After the death of Arafat Rahman Koko, an accused in the case, the bank sought the inclusion of his mother, Khaleda Zia, his wife, Sharmila Rahman, and daughters Jafia and Zahia, as defendants under Islamic inheritance rules on 8 March 2015. The court granted the plea on 16 March 2015.

On 22 February 2016, the court framed issues against all 16 accused, including Khaleda Zia and Tarique Rahman. The accused in the case include Dandy Dyeing Ltd, Shams Eskander, Safin Eskander, Sumaiya Eskander, Begum Nasrin Ahmed, Giasuddin Al Mamun, his wife, Shahina Yasmin, Kazi Galib Ahmed, Shamsun Nahar, and Masud Hasan.

BP/SP