An initiative was taken to hold a hearing on a rule issued by the High Court about one and half years ago over the government steps to bring back Proshanta Kumar Halder, popularly known as PK Halder, to the country and to arrest him.
The rule is now pending before the High Court bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Kazi Md. Ejarul Haque Akondo.
Deputy Attorney General AKM Amin Uddin Manik, a concerned state counsel of this HC bench, informed the court on Monday about the arrest of PK Halder in India and prayed to hold a hearing on the rule issued by the court as a Suo Moto (voluntary move). Then the court said that the rule will come in the Tuesday’s cause list of the court for the hearing.
Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan was also present in the court during the hearing.
Expressing satisfaction at the arrest of PK Halder in India on the charge of laundering a huge sum of money the High Court bench said that the Indian government should be thanked for the arrest.
Later Mr AKM Amin Uddin said, “The High Court earlier issued a rule over the government steps to bring back PK Halder to the country and to arrest him. We came to know through the media that PK Halder has been arrested in India. We brought the issue to the attention of the court and prayed to hold a hearing on the rule.”
He further said, “Then the court said our message is clear. We are in a zero-tolerance position against corruption and money laundering. No one will be spared, no matter who he is. We are serious about it.”
The court said that the rule will come in Tuesday’s cause list of the court for the hearing, added the state counsel.
Following a newspaper report, the High Court bench headed by Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder on November 19 in 2020 issued the Suo Moto rule asking the respondents to explain in 10 days why they should not be directed to take proper initiatives to bring back PK Halder and to arrest him.
It also asked the respondents what steps have been taken to bring back Proshanta Kumar Halder to the country and to arrest him. The Chairman of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), secretary of the home ministry and deputy commissioner of Dhaka had been asked to comply with the queries within 10 days.
Prashanta Kumar Halder was arrested along with an associate last Saturday in West Bengal in India. He was arrested by the Indian Directorate of Enforcement, which investigates money laundering and violations of foreign exchange laws.
