Shawdesh desk:

The High Court on Tuesday refused to grant bail to former Faridpur town Juba League unit president Nazmul Islam Levi, one of the 10 leaders of the local ruling party, accused in a Tk 200 crore money laundering case.

The district committee expelled JL secretary Sajjad Hossain Barkat and his brother Imtiaz Hasan Rubel who were made principal accused in the case while eight others included Levi, Khandaker Mohtesam Hossain Babar— brother of former minister Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain.

They are accused of abetting the two brothers of laundering and amassing Tk 2,535.11 crore beyond their sources of income.

An online bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice SM Mozibur Rahman kept Levi’s bail prayer pending for two months.

The Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge’s court was scheduled for April 1 to hear whether the charges brought against 10 people would be accepted or not.

But hearing could not be held yet because of the closure of the court due to Covid 19 restrictions.

Levi’s lawyer AKM Rabiul Hassan told the court that his client was accused in the case for accepting only Tk 50 lakh.

The six other accused are Khandaker Mosharraf’s assistant personal secretary and former convener of Faridpur district Juba League AHM Fuad, former general secretary of Faridpur town unit Juba League Ashiqur Rahman Farhan, general secretary of the district Swechchhasebak League Fahad bin Wazed Fahim, former joint convener of district Juba League Kamrul Hasan David, district Juba League joint convener Mohammad Ali Minar, and district Juba League joint convenor Tariqul Islam alias Nasim.

Of them, Barkat, Rubel, Levi and Farhan are now in jail. Barkat was expelled from AL after his arrest.

Lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan and deputy attorney general AKM Amin Uddin Manik opposed Levi’s bail.