Court orders to confiscate 100-acre land allocated to Ron Haque Sikder

A Dhaka court has ordered to confiscate the 100-acre land in Dhaka’s Purbachal allocated in the name of Sikder Group managing director Ron Haque Sikder.

Dhaka metropolitan senior special judge Md Jakir Hossain passed the order today, Monday, following a plea from the Anti-Corruption Commission.

The ACC informed the court that it was investigating the allegations of corruption, arbitrariness, and looting people’s deposits and giving loans in exchange for bribes against the board of directors of National Bank.

The ACC found during investigation that some 100 acres of lands in Sector-19 of Purbachal project were allocated in the name of PowerPack Holding owned by Ron Haque Sikder.

The Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK) had given approval to construct a (100-142)-storey ‘iconic tower’ on that land. The almost Tk 50-billion-asset was allocated in exchange of Tk 30 billion. Ron Haque Sikder took over the land using his security guards by paying only an installment of Tk 2.7 billion.

The ACC further told the court that Ron Haque Sikder’s agency erected a three-storey-building without the RAJUK approval there. Besides, Ron Haque Sikder’s company took a loan of Tk 1.1 billion from a bank providing false information. Later, the court ordered the confiscation of the 100-acre land following the ACC plea.

Before the fall of the Awami League government in August last year, most of the members of the National Bank board of directors were from the Sikder family. They laundered billions from the money deposited to banks by its clients by approving loans unlawfully.

Earlier, on 9 March, the court ordered to freeze 42 BO (beneficiary owners account) held by the members of the Sikder family, including Ron Haque Sikder’s mother Monowara Sikder.

The ACC has informed the court that most of the Sikder family members are abroad at the moment. They are trying to handover the BO accounts from abroad.

On 23 December, a court ordered the confiscation of 15 buildings and floors registered in the name of Sikder family members.

Monowara Sikder was the chairman of the National Bank board of directors while her sons Ron Haque Sikder and Rick Haque Sikder served as the directors of the bank.

The family gained massive assets in the name of the family members and relatives embezzling people’s deposits. The investigation also found that the family looted a large sum of money and laundered it exerting influence.