India deserves thanks for arresting PK Halder: HC

The High Court (HC) has observed that Bangladesh should extend thanks to the Indian government for arresting fugitive businessman PK Halder, reports news agency UNB.

An HC bench comprising Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Kazi Md. Ejarul Haque Akondo made the observation when Deputy Attorney General AKM Amin Uddin Manik brought the issue before the court on Monday.

The court also said, “Our message is clear. We have taken a zero-tolerance policy against corruption and money laundering. None will be spared whoever they are. We are very serious about this matter.”

On 13 May, India’s federal economic offences police arrested PK Halder and his two associates in the eastern state of West Bengal.

PK Halder, the former Managing Director of NRB Global Bank, had been on the run since being charged by the Anti-Corruption Commission in Bangladesh for money laundering and amassing ill-gotten wealth.

The disgraced director of International Leasing and Finance Service Ltd (ILFSL) was staying in India pretending to be, Shibshankar Halder, a citizen of the country, after having managed to fraudulently obtain various government identities.

In cases filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), PK Halder is accused of embezzling and swindling multiple non-banking financial institutions more than Tk 10,000 crore.