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The Daily Star

Publication Date : 19-02-2013

Jasmine Islam, the chairman of the Hall-Mark Group, surrendered before a Dhaka court on Tuesday in connection with 11 corruption cases.

Islam, wife of the company's managing director Tanvir Mahmud, surrendered before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Court in Bangladesh's capital, following a trial court order.

On Feburary 17, Judge Mohammad Zahirul Haque of the Senior Special Judges' Court in Dhaka had asked her to surrender before the CMM court in three days or risk being arrested. She was also not allowed to leave the country.

The High Court (HC) bench of Justice AHM Shamsuddin Choudhury Manik and Justice Mahmudul Hoque also summoned Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) public prosecutor Mosharraf Hossain Kazal to appear before it on February 20 for clarification as to whether his office opposed Islam's bail in the lower court.

Islam was granted bail on February 7 by the court of Judge Zahirul Haque on the condition that she and her company would repay the 26 billion Bangladeshi taka (US$323.8 million), which her company swindled, to Sonali Bank.

The court, however, cancelled bail in the 11 corruption cases filed by the ACC following an HC order on February 17.

According to a Bangladesh Bank investigation, Hall-Mark, in collaboration with some bank officials, had swindled more than 26 billion Bangladeshi taka out of the Ruposhi Bangla branch of Sonali Bank against forged documents.

Islam was arrested on November 6, 2012, charged with six of the 11 corruption cases filed by the ACC in connection with a loan scam.

On October 4, 2012, the ACC filed 11 cases against 27 top officials of Sonali Bank and the Hall-Mark Group for the loan scam.

US$1=80.2 Bangladeshi taka