Ron Haque Sikder, managing director of the Sikder Group of Companies, has died.
He passed away at around 2:20pm local time on Monday while undergoing treatment at Mediclinic Parkview Hospital in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, reports bdnews24.com.
The death of the former director of National Bank was confirmed by Abu Sufian, personal assistant to his sister, former Member of Parliament Parveen Haque Sikder.
Sufian, who also serves as a public relations officer at a company owned by the Sikder Group, said Ron Haque Sikder died while receiving treatment at the hospital. However, no further details were immediately disclosed.
Ron Haque Sikder had not been seen in public since the fall of the Awami League government following the 2024 movement.
In recent years, the former National Bank director had frequently made headlines over reports of loan irregularities at the bank. Media reports also indicated that he had left the country during that period.
Following news of his death on Monday, sources close to the Sikder family said he had been admitted to hospital a week earlier with liver-related complications.
During the tenure of the Awami League government, the Sikder Group was regarded as an influential business conglomerate, and Ron Haque Sikder often appeared in headlines over various controversies.
In April 2024, while the Awami League government was still in power, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed two cases against Ron Haque Sikder, his brother Rick Haque Sikder, and five others over allegations of money laundering.
The cases were filed by ACC Director Benazir Ahmed at the commission’s Integrated District Office Dhaka-1. In October of the same year, the commission approved charge sheets in the two cases.
The two brothers were accused of laundering a total of Tk71 crore in the cases.
According to the case statements, large sums of US dollars were spent beyond international credit card limits and later repaid through various bank accounts.
Earlier, on May 19, 2020, EXIM Bank authorities filed a case with Gulshan Police Station accusing Ron Haque Sikder and his brother Dipu Haque Sikder of torturing and attempting to kill two bank officials by shooting them.
Several other cases and investigations over financial irregularities, embezzlement, and money laundering are also ongoing against Ron Haque Sikder and his brothers. Reports said he had been living in Thailand and the United Arab Emirates for a long time to evade arrest.
The two brothers, who drew widespread attention due to their controversial activities, were removed from their positions as directors of National Bank following intervention by Bangladesh Bank.
