Observing International Anti-corruption Day not enough: HC

The High Court today observed that only commemorating International Anti-corruption Day will not be enough for combating corruption.

Zero tolerance must be effective and enforced in order to prevent corruption and irregularities in the country, the court said.

The HC bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Ahmed Sohel came up with the observation while virtually hearing a suo muto rule issued by the court questioning the inaction of the authorities concerned in arresting Proshanta Kumar Halder and bringing him back to the country.

The bench ordered the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to submit a report by January 3 next year on the progress of the investigation into the money laundering case against PK Halder and on the steps taken to arrest and bring him back to the country.

The court also allowed PK Halder's former colleague Uzzal Kumar Nandi and his cousin Amitabh Adhikary to submit their statements -- in connection with the allegations against them of assisting PK Halder in embezzling huge amount of public money -- to this court by January 3.

The HC bench gave permission to Uzzal Kumar Nandi and Amitabh Adhikary to submit their statements as they submitted two separate applications through their lawyers to the court seeking permission to become party in the case in order to place their statements and expectations.

The court also set January 3 for holding further hearing and passing an order on this issue.

During the hearing, ACC lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan told the HC bench that the Senior Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court of Dhaka on November 25 issued arrest warrant against PK Halder following an application from the ACC and that court has sent the order of arrest warrant to the Interpol through the home ministry to arrest him.

The lawyer added that the authorities concerned have confiscated 53 bank accounts and unmovable properties worth Tk 43 crore of PK Halder.

Deputy Attorney General AKM Amin Uddin, who represented the state, vigorously opposed the applications from Uzzal Kumar Nandi and Amitabh Adhikary, saying that they have submitted the applications with a view to hampering the investigation and saving PK Halder.

Lawyers Mosharraf Hossain and Shah Monjurul Hoque appeared for Uzzal Kumar Nandi and Amitabh Adhikary respectively.

Issuing the suo muto rule, the HC bench on November 18 wanted to know what steps have been taken to arrest Halder, who fled the country after allegedly siphoning around Tk 10,200 crore from some non-banking financial institutions, and to bring him back to the country.