Shawdesh Desk:

Prosecution witnesses have started to adduce evidence in a graft case filed against former Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha and 10 others for embezzling Tk 4 crore from the Farmers Bank.

ACC director Syed Iqbal, the first prosecution witness and also the complainant of the case, testified in the case.

Judge Shaikh Nazmul Alam of the Special Judge Court 4 of Dhaka recorded statements submitted by them.

Earlier, on August 12, the court indicted them in absence of eight, including SK Sinha.

Ten other accused are Farmers Bank’s audit committee former chairman Mahbubul Haque Chisty, former managing director AKM Shamim, senior executive vice-president and head of credit division Gazi Salahuddin, first vice-president of credit division Swapan Kumar Roy, first vice-president Shafiuddin Askary and vice-president Lutful Haque, resident of Tangail’s Sreehoripur village Shahjahan, Ranjit Chandra Saha of the district’s Jodunathpur village and his wife Santri Roy and nephew Niranjan Chandra Saha.

Of them, AKM Shamim and Gazi Salahuddin are now on bail while Mahbubul Haque Chisty is in jail. The three accused were present before the court and claimed that they are innocent.

On December 10 last year, Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) director Benjir Ahmed submitted a charge-sheet against 11 people.

The ACC filed a case at its Integrated District Office-1 of Dhaka on July 10 same year implicating SK Sinha and 10 others.