A Dhaka court issued an arrest warrant against former BNP state minister Gayeswar Chandra Roy yesterday in a graft case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
Judge ANM Bashir Ullah of the Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court passed the order.
Earlier, Gayeswar, BNP joint secretary general, obtained ad-interim bail from the High Court till the submission of the probe report. His bail period expired as the investigation officer submitted the charge sheet on July 5.
The court was scheduled yesterday to take cognisance of the charge against the accused. As the BNP leader did not show up, it issued an arrest warrant against him, the judge said.
On January 5, the ACC filed the case against him on charges of extorting Tk 2.61 crore and concealing information of his wealth worth Tk 25.95 lakh in his wealth statement submitted to the commission on August 20 last year.
ACC Deputy Director SM Mofidul Islam alleged that Gayeshwar extorted Tk 1.94 crore from the managing director of M/s Abdul Monem Ltd in 2004 during the rule of BNP-Jamaat alliance government. It was the time when the company got the tender of filling earth in Purbachal New Town Project of Rajuk.
He also extorted Tk 67 lakh from the MD of M/s Reza Constructions Ltd.
The ACC official alleged that Gayeshwar owned properties worth Tk 1.28 crore, but in his wealth statement, the BNP leader mentioned his wealth worth Tk 1.02 crore.