DHAKA, 24 February, 2021 (TON): The High court irked by the Bangladesh Bank’s role in recovering defaulted loans from People’s Leasing and Financial Services Ltd or PLFSL, a firm undergoing liquidation.

A judge says the central bank officials responsible for overseeing the financial institutions “took benefits” from the scam centering businessman Proshanto Kumar Halder, former managing director of the International Leasing and Financial Services Limited or ILFSL and NRB Global Bank.

On Tuesday, while hearing statements of some of those who defaulted on more than Tk 500,000 loans from PLFSL, Justice Muhammad Khurshid Alam Sarkar made the comments.

“The Bangladesh Bank officials in charge of overseeing the financial institutions sat there and took (benefits). These corrupt officials took facilities from PK Halder and the loan defaulters,” the judge said.

Bank account details of Shitangshu Kumar Sur Chowdhury, a former deputy governor of Bangladesh Bank, and Md Shah Alam, an incumbent executive director of the central bank, after their names emerged in the PK Halder scam have been sought by the National Board of Revenue.

Mr. Haider is accused of embezzling Tk 3.5 billion funds and purchasing large shares while taking control of four financial institutions, in which he placed his close associates in positions of power.

Uzzal Kumar Nandi, chairman of PLFSL, and Rashedul Haque, former managing director of ILFSL, have been arrested by Anti-Corruption Commission on charges of abetting the crimes allegedly committed by PK Halder.

Nandi and Haque named SK Sur and Shah Alam, among others, in their statements to the court.

However, some of the loan defaulters who appeared in court sought time to repay, while some others denied taking loans from the firm.