The High Court today granted anticipatory bail to Bashudeb Banerjee, an associate of PK Haldar and a director of International Leasing and Financial Services, along with his wife Papia Banerjee, also a director of the institution, in 15 cases filed on charge of money laundering.

The HC also directed them to surrender their passports to the trial court concerned saying that they cannot go aboard without permission from the court.

Proshanta Kumar Halder, known as PK Halder, who is a former managing director of NRB Global Bank, is reportedly involved in Tk 10,000 crore loan scam. He was arrested in Ashoknagar, India on May 14, 2022 on charges of money laundering.

The bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Kazi Ebadot Hossain passed the order following separate petitions by the accused seeking bail in the case.

The two appeared before the HC today in connection with the cases.

The Anti-Corruption Commission filed the cases in 2021 on charges of laundering Tk 750 crore, said Deputy Attorney General AKM Amin Uddin Manik.

During the hearing of the bail petitions yesterday, their lawyer Md Nurul Islam Sujan told the HC that his clients are directors of ILFS, but they did not participate in any board meetings as directors.

He said the company is run by its chairman and managing director, who decides when and how to disburse and recover the loan.

Bashudeb Banerjee and Papia Banerjee have not transferred any money or loan to their own or any other shareholder companies and have not benefitted in any way, the lawyer argued.

ACC lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan told The Daily Star that the commission will move an appeal before the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court challenging the High Court orders of anticipatory bail.

Senior lawyer Md Nurul Islam Sujan and lawyer Julhas Uddin Ahmed argued for the petitioners while Senior Advocate Khurshid Alam Khan and Asif Hossain and DAG AKM Amin Uddin Manik represented the ACC and the state respectively.