9 including Tanveer-Jasmin awarded life term over Hallmark embezzlement

A court here today sentenced nine persons including Hallmark Managing Director (MD) Md Tanvir Mahmud and his wife and Group Chairman Jasmin Islam to life term jail in a money embezzlement case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

Judge M. Abul Kashem of Dhaka Special Judge Court-1 in two separate sections of the Penal Code 1860, awarded Tanvir and Jasmine life imprisonment and fine of  taka 5 crore and seven years imprisonment with a fine of taka 25 thousands respectively.

Other accused of the case – Sonali Bank (Hotel Sheraton/ now Rupsi Bangla Branch) Assistant Deputy General Manager M Saiful Hasan, Executive Officer Abdul Matin, Tanvir’s brother in-law  and Group General Manager Tushar Ahmed, Max Spinning Mills owner Mir Zakaria, Paragon Group MD Saiful Islam Raja, Nakshi Knit’s MD M Abdul Malek and Taslim Hasan, Director of T & Brothers, also got life imprisonment with a fine of taka ten lakh and seven years imprisonment with a fine of taka two lakh under same sections of the Penal Code.

Sonali Bank Dhanmondi Branch Senior Executive Officer Meherunnessa Mary, Sonali Bank Head Office General Managers- Nani Gopal Nath and Mir Mahidur Rahman, former Head Office Managing Director Humayun Kabir, DMD Mainul Haque, Deputy General Manager (DGM) Safizuddin and AGM MoKamrul Hossain Khan were sentenced to ten years in prison with a fine of taka ten lakh and seven years jail with fine of taka two lakh under separate sections of the Penal Code as well.

The court sentenced the chairman of Tentuljhora Union Parishad (UP) of Hemayetpur, Savar, Md Jamal Uddin Sarkar to five years imprisonment with a fine of taka five lakh and two years imprisonment with a fine of taka two lakh under identical sections.

According to the case documents, 18 people including Hallmark Group MD Md Tanvir Mahmud  and his wife and company chairman Jasmine Islam, were accused of swindling Taka 16.50 crore after taking loan of TK 525.62 crore in the name of a non-existent Max Spinning Mills.

The ACC filed the case with the capital’s Ramna Police Station on October 4, 2012. (BSS)