The High Court yesterday directed police to immediately arrest five accused, including a Chinese national, in connection with a corruption case filed on charge of embezzling Tk 2.59 crore from National Bank.

The five accused are National Bank’s former senior vice president Abdul Odud Khan; Sinfa Nitas Ltd chairman and Chinese national Yang Wang Chung, its managing director Khasru Al Rahman, and directors Mansurul Haque and Md Golam Mostafa. 

The HC also asked the inspector general of police to take necessary steps to seize their passports so that they cannot leave the country.

At the same time, it ordered the trial court concerned to finish the trial proceedings of the case -- filed by Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) -- in six months.

The HC bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice KM Hafizul Alam came up with the order during hearing a petition filed by National Bank’s former executive vice president Shahabuddin Chowdhury, seeking cancellation of the trial proceedings against him in the corruption case.

The bench rejected the petition of Shahabuddin, considering it was not placed properly.

The trial proceedings of all six accused, including Shahabuddin, will run at the lower court following the HC order, ACC lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan told The Daily Star.

He said Shahabuddin is now out on bail.

ACC filed the case with Motijheel Police Station on June 17, 2017 against the six accused on charge of misappropriating Tk 2.59 crore from National Bank in the name of the Sinfa Nitas Ltd company by making forged documents, Deputy Attorney General AKM Amin Uddin Manik told reporters.

ACC submitted charge sheet of the case to the trial court on June 24 last year, he added.

Advocate Abdul Matin Khasru appeared for Shahabuddin.