Law enforcers have no idea where former BASIC Bank chairman Sheikh Abdul Hye Bacchu is even though a Dhaka court has so far issued 52 warrants for him in as many cases since February 28.

Earlier, arrest warrants were issued in two other cases filed with Double Mooring Police Station in Chattogram.

According to case documents, Bacchu is from Mollahat upazila of Bagerhat and his current residence is within the jurisdiction of Cantonment Police Station in the capital.

Contacted on April 30, Shahinur Rahman, officer-in-charge of the police station, said he received a warrant a week ago, but found that neither the accused nor his family members lived at the address.

The warrant was issued in a graft case filed with Paltan Police Station in September 2015.

SM Ashraful Alam, officer-in-charge of Mollahat Police Station, told The Daily Star on April 30 that he had not received any warrant for Bacchu.

At a recent event, former Bangladesh Bank governor Mohammed Farashuddin said someone lands in jail for a Tk 1,000 agricultural loan, while "a defaulter of Tk 100 billion industrial loans sits next to the government".

Before the BASIC Bank fell into crisis, it used to make profits, he told a discussion organised by the Economic Reporters' Forum.

"I hear the person who destroyed the bank is in the country. But I don't know who is patronising him…"

The Anti-Corruption Commission accused Bacchu in 59 cases filed over the embezzlement of Tk 2,265 crore from BASIC Bank.

The cases were filed with Paltan Police Station, Motijheel Police Station, and Gulshan Police Station.

As of yesterday, charges were yet to be accepted in 5 cases filed with the police stations, said an ACC official.

ACC's lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan says Bacchu is a fugitive in the eyes of the law, and law enforcers "can arrest him".

On February 29, ACC Chairman Moinuddin Abdullah told The Daily Star: "We really don't know where Sheikh Abdul Hye Bachchu is. We raided his residence in the Cantonment area, but did not find him.

"He had not left the country with a valid passport. He is banned from leaving the country. If he attempts to leave through an airport or land port, we will know. That's why we think he is still in Bangladesh. After eight years of investigation, we pressed charges against Bachchu."

Mir Ahmed Ali Salam, another ACC lawyer at Metropolitan Senior Special Judge's Court in Dhaka, said, "If he is not arrested within a certain period, the government will issue a gazette and the courts will hold his trials in absentia. Meanwhile, he can surrender before the courts and seek bail."

Bacchu's lawyer Syed Mahsib Hossain told this newspaper on March 29 that his client had not appeared before the court fearing that he would be sent to jail.

Mahsib also said that he was not aware of the updates of lower court proceedings in the cases.

As per Bangladesh Bank findings, around Tk 4,500 crore was syphoned out of BASIC Bank between September 2009 and 2012 when Bacchu led the bank's board of directors.

On July 14, 2014, the central bank gave the ACC a report detailing how the money was embezzled through shell companies and dubious accounts.

The report said Bacchu illegally influenced the activities of the state-owned bank and approved many loans ignoring recommendations of officials. He also approved loans based on forged documents.

Between August and October last year, Bacchu sought anticipatory bail from the HC in the cases filed against him.

He maintains that he is innocent, and there is no material evidence against him, his lawyer told The Daily Star.