A Dhaka court, while delivering its judgement in case over the Hallmark scandal has said culprits who consider deposits, the banking system and the economy to be a plaything should be given with the death penalty.
Judge Md Abul Kashem of Dhaka's Special Judge Court 1 made these remarks before announcing the verdict in one of the 11 cases of loan corruption involving Tk4,000 crore of Sonali Bank in the Hallmark scandal.
Although the judge believed that the culprit behind the scandal deserved a punishment like the death penalty, since the maximum penalty under the relevant law is life imprisonment, those directly involved received life in jail.
The court sentenced nine individuals, including Hallmark Managing Director Tanvir Mahmud and his wife, the chairman of the institution, Jasmine Islam, to life imprisonment.
Additionally, the court ordered Tanvir and Jasmine to pay a fine of Tk5 crore each. In the same case, under another fraud charge, they were also sentenced to seven years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Tk25 lakh each.
The court also sentenced other accused in the case to various jail terms.
