A Chattogram court yesterday banned Legend Holdings owner SM Abdul Hai and his wife from leaving the country for their repeated failures to appear at court hearings.

Chattogram Money Loan Court Magistrate Mujahidur Rahman issued the order in a Tk 152 crore loan default case filed by Social Islami Bank Ltd.

As per the copy of the order, the court issued the directive after Abdul Hai failed to show up at hearings on multiple occasions, citing illness.

He owes as much as Tk 600 crore to different banks, said the order, adding that the value of the collateral put up to secure the loans is insubstantial.

His wife, Nilufar Akhter, and Legend Holdings director Morshed Shamsur Hossain Himadri were banned from leaving the country.

Hai, a Chattogram-based businessman, is thought to have left the country already.

"They have not given any satisfactory explanations for their absence at court," said the order.

Despite several attempts, this correspondent could not reach Hai for comments as his publicly listed number is not in service.

The court ordered the Superintendent of Police (Immigration) of the Special Branch to take steps to ensure that they can't leave the country.

Hai served the Chittagong Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce & Industry as a director in 2019 and previously.

Legend Holdings has business interests in shipbreaking and ready-made garments industries.