The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court has upheld the High Court’s bail granted to economist and former chairman of Janata Bank Professor Abul Barkat, who was arrested in a corruption case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
The court, however, directed him to deposit his passport with the trial court as a condition of bail.
The ruling was delivered on Thursday, by the Appellate Division bench headed by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed, which dismissed a petition filed by the Dhaka deputy commissioner challenging the High Court’s order.
Senior lawyer Mustafa Rahman Khan appeared in court for the petitioner.
The ACC filed the case on February 20 last year against 23 individuals, including Abul Barkat, over allegations of embezzling Tk297 crore in the name of the Anontex Group. He was arrested in connection with the case on the night of July 11.
According to the ACC, former Bangladesh Bank governor Atiur Rahman and Abul Barkat, in collusion, facilitated loans to 22 companies under the Anontex Group through fraudulent means, leading to the alleged misappropriation of funds.
After being denied bail by a lower court, Barkat moved the High Court, which granted bail. The Dhaka deputy commissioner later challenged the order in the Appellate Division, which has now been dismissed.
Abul Barkat previously served as chairman of the Department of Economics at the University of Dhaka and president of the Bangladesh Economic Association.