The High Court today asked Bangladesh Krishi Bank for documents on its decision to waive interest of around Tk 48 crore for Chattogram's BNP leader and businessman Abbas Ali.

In response to a writ petition, the court ordered chairman and managing director of Bangladesh Krishi Bank to produce the documents before it in four weeks for the court to examine them.     

The HC also questioned the legality of the decision taken by the bank's board of directors for waiving the interest of around Tk 48 crore for Abbas Ali, proprietor of Abbas Trading Corporation.

The court issued a rule asking the authorities concerned to explain in four weeks why the bank's decision should not be declared illegal.

Finance secretary, governor of Bangladesh Bank, Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit, and chairman and managing director of Bangladesh Krishi Bank have been made respondents to the rule, writ petitioner's lawyer Chanchal Kumar Biswas told The Daily Star.   

The HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Sardar Md Rashed Jahangir came up with the order and rule after hearing the writ petition filed Supreme Court lawyer Anisur Rahman challenging the legality of the bank's decision.

Citing the petition, lawyer Chanchal said BNP leader Abbas Ali reportedly received Tk 85 crore as a loan around 10 years back from Bangladesh Bank for running business.

As Abbas Ali did not pay the loan, Bangladesh Krishi Bank filed a case with the lower court concerned against him in 2013.

The Anti-Corruption Commission also filed a case against Abbas Ali in 2013 for laundering money, but despite the cases are pending, Abbas Ali submitted an application to Bangladesh Krishi Bank in June 2019 for waving the interest of his loan and subsequently, Board of Directors of Bangladesh Krishi Bank in their 740th meeting decided to waive the interest of around Tk 48 crore to him. 

The Board of Directors of Bangladesh Krishi Bank cannot take such a decision in line with Bangladesh Krishi Bank Ain (Act), 1973, the lawyer added.