A Dhaka court yesterday sentenced BM Bakir Hossain, a top leader of Sonali Bank collective bargaining agent (CBA), to 13 years imprisonment, for amassing illegal wealth and concealing information in his wealth statement to the Anti-corruption Commission (ACC).
Judge Firoz Alam of Special Judge Court 1, set up on Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban premises, also sentenced Bakir's wife Nazma Hossain to three years imprisonment for abetting her husband in amassing wealth worth about Tk 1.52 crore illegally.
The court also fined Bakir Tk 10 lakh, in default of which he will have to serve an additional year in jail, while his wife was fined Tk 1 lakh, in default of which she will have to spend six more months in jail.
The special court directed the authorities to confiscate the entire volume of Bakir's illegal wealth.
The verdict was pronounced after examining statements of 40 witnesses.
ACC Assistant Director Jahangir Alam filed the case with Motijheel police station on May 30 last year, and the court framed charges against the couple on December 17 of the same year.
BAKIR'S PROFILE
Bakir raked in the illegal wealth during the rule of the immediate past BNP-Jamaat-led four-party alliance government, using his trade union clout backed by BNP.
The man, whose name was on ACC's first list of corrupt persons, had joined Sonali Bank as a clerk in 1977. At the time of his arrest he was a deputy accountant with a salary of Tk 7,500 a month.
Through his wholesale corruption he and his wife became millionaires enjoying a large number of properties including a six-storey building in Malibagh of the capital, and of a market in his home village in Narail.
His wife owns the stylish building in Malibagh.
Bakir came to limelight during the BNP-Jamaat-led alliance government's regime as he was often seen on TV screens and newspaper photos, sitting or standing beside influential BNP leaders including immediate past prime minister Khaleda Zia.
He managed to grab three vital posts in three renowned workers' organisations simultaneously. Until his arrest he was the president of Sonali Bank Employees Union, and of Bangladesh Bank Employees Federation, and the joint secretary of Jatiytabadi Sramik Dal.
Getting all the legal and illegal perks of a CBA leader, Bakir became an owner of houses, flats, and cars. He caught everybody's attention in 2005 when he spent Tk 15 lakh and used 150 microbuses and cars during his election campaign for a post in the parents' association of Viqarunnisa Noon School in the capital.
He had not been sitting in his chair in Sonali Bank for quite a while even before his arrest, while enjoying all benefits of his employment nonetheless.
He allegedly used a car worth Tk 40 lakh of the bank, which otherwise used to be reserved for the bank's chairman or managing director.
Bakir as the Sonali Bank CBA president recruited around 200 employees since 2001, allegedly in exchange for Tk 50,000 to Tk 1 lakh in bribe from each of them.
Bakir, who was born in Jugania village under Kalia upazila of Narail on November 28, 1957, earned his secondary school certificate from Bagudanga High School in 1973, and the higher secondary certificate from Gopalganj Government College in 1975. He got involved in politics during his college days.
He joined Sonali Bank as a clerk in 1977, and earned his bachelor's degree (pass course) from Jagannath University College in 1979 while working.
Bakir joined Sonali Bank Trade Union as a general member in 1984.