A Dhaka court on Sunday (October 8) sentenced former managing director of NRB Global Bank Proshanta Kumar Halder, known as PK Halder, to 22 years of imprisonment in a case filed over laundering Tk 80 crore to Canada and amassing about Tk 426 crore illegally.

PK Halder was jailed for 10 years for illegally gathering money and 12 years for laundering money. He was also fined Tk 1,044 crore.

Judge Mohammad Nazrul Islam of Dhaka's Special Judge's Court-10 during passing the verdict said PK Halder will serve the jail sentences separately.

Thirteen others were sentenced seven years in prison in the case. Of the total jail sentence, three and four years of imprisonments have been given for abetting PK Halder in amassing and laundering money respectively. Their jail sentences will run concurrently.

PK Halder, the prime accused of the case, was arrested in Ashoknagar, India, on May 14 last year.

The other accused included Sukumar Mridha, Anindita Mridha, Avantika Baral, Shankh Bepari, PK Halder's mother Lilavati Halder, Purnima Rani Halder, Uttam Kumar Mistri, Amitabh Adhikari, Pritish Kumar Halder, Rajib Som, Subrata Das, Anang Mohan Roy and Swapan Kumar Mistri.

Of them, Sukumar Mridha, Anindita Mridha, Avantika Baral and Shankh Bepari are now behind bars.

PK Halder, along with five others, were detained in Ashoknagar of the Indian State of West Bengal in the morning of May 14, 2022.

According to the case, Halder and his other associates have embezzled thousands of crores of Bangladeshi Taka and siphoned off to India and other countries.

On March 1, 2021, PK Halder fled Bangladesh through Jashore's Benapole land port.

In January, 2021, the ACC filed five cases against 33 people, including Halder, for allegedly laundering over Tk 350 crore of International Leasing and Financial Services Limited (ILFSL).
 
He had laundered about Tk 80 crore to Canada and amassed about Tk 426 crore beyond his known sources of income, the case documents said.

BDST: 1412 HRS, OCT 8, 2023
MSK