A Dhaka court has granted a two-day remand for economist and former Janata Bank chairman Professor Abul Barkat in connection with a case involving the embezzlement of Tk 297 crore from AnonTex Group.
Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Md Zakir Hossain passed the remand order on Wednesday after a hearing where both prosecution and defense presented their arguments.
Earlier, the investigation officer of the case, ACC Assistant Director Mohammad Shahjahan Miraj, filed a petition for three-day remand on July 11. On that day, the court sent him to jail and fixed Wednesday (July 23) for the remand hearing.
During the proceedings, Barkat’s lawyer, Md Shahinur Islam, filed a bail petition and requested cancellation of the remand. However, ACC Public Prosecutor Mahmud Hossain Jahangir opposed the bail and supported the remand plea.
After hearing both sides, the court granted a two-day remand.
Barkat was arrested late on July 10 by the Dhaka Metropolitan Detective Branch from the Dhanmondi area. He was sent to jail the following day after his bail plea was rejected, and the remand hearing was scheduled for July 23.
The ACC filed the case on February 20, accusing 23 individuals—including former Bangladesh Bank Governor Atiur Rahman and Barkat—of embezzling Tk 297.38 crore from Janata Bank through fraudulent loans issued to 22 companies under the AnonTex Group.
The case alleges conspiracy, forgery, and money laundering with the involvement of senior banking officials.
Among the other accused are – former Deputy Governor-2 Abu Hena Mohammad Razi Hasan, former Janata Bank directors Dr. Jamal Uddin Ahmed and Professor Dr. Nitai Chandra Nath, former Managing Director and CEO Abdus Salam Azad, and several other former senior officials of the bank.
Professor Abul Barkat, a prominent economist, previously chaired the Economics Department at Dhaka University and serves as the unpaid Chief Advisor of the Human Development Research Centre.