A Dhaka court has sentenced Evaly Managing Director Mohammad Rassel and his wife, company Chairman Shamima Nasrin, to three years in prison for criminal breach of trust, fraud, and amassing illegal wealth.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Monirul Islam passed the verdict on Thursday (September 18).

In addition to the prison term, both were fined Tk10,000 each. Failure to pay will result in an additional three months in jail without hard labour.

The judgment came after testimonies from three witnesses. The couple was absconding when the verdict was announced.

Victim Md Abul Kalam Azad filed the case on December 7, 2023, accusing the duo of defrauding customers through Evaly’s business model. On the same day, the court directed the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) to probe the matter.

According to the case documents, Evaly lured buyers with flashy advertisements, including those on its official Facebook page. The plaintiff alleged he paid Tk23 lakh for 11 motorcycles, which the company promised to deliver within a month but never did.

Instead, prosecutors said, Evaly misappropriated the money and deceived customers with false assurances.

MN/