Staff Reporter:

A court here today convicted and sentenced former managing director of the then NRB Global Bank and Reliance Finance, Proshanta Kumar Halder alias PK Halder to 22-year jail in a case lodged over amassing illegal wealth and laundering the money abroad.

The court also convicted and sentenced other 13 accused in the case to seven years of jail each in the case. Of the 13, Abantika Boral, Shonkho Bepari, Sukumar Mridha and Anindita Mridha were present at the court during the pronouncement of the judgment.

Judge Mohammad Nazrul Islam of Dhaka Special Judge Court-10 pronounced the judgment, sentencing Halder to 10-year jail under section 27 (1) of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Act and 12-year jail in Money Laundering Prevention Act.

The court in its judgment said the two sentences of jail will run separately, meaning the crook Halder will have to suffer behind bars for a total 22 years.

Earlier on October 4, the court had set today to pronounce the judgment as both the defence and prosecution concluded their arguments in the case on that day.

Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge KM Imrul Qayesh on March 27 issued arrest warrant against 10 fugitive accused in the case including Proshanta Kumar Halder alias PK Halder.

The court also issued arrest warrant against PK Halder's mother Lilaboti Halder, Purnima Rani Halder, Uttam Kumar Mistri, Amitabh Adhikari, Pritish Kumar Halder, Rajib Shom, Subrata Das, Anang Mohan Roy and Swapan Kumar Mistri.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on January 8, 2020, filed the case against Halder for amassing illegal wealth of around Taka 275 crore and laundering the money abroad.

It is the first out of total 52 cases filed against PK Halder, one of the most notorious financial criminals in the country's history, in which the judgment was delivered. The other cases are still in probing stage.