The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court has granted a conditional bail to economist and former Chairman of Janata Bank, Professor Abul Barkat in a case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
The highest court issued the order on Monday (June 8).
According to the court directive, he will have to submit his passport to the court and comply with other legal conditions. With this order, there is no longer any legal barrier to his release from custody.
Professor Abul Barkat is a well-known economist who served for many years as a professor in the Department of Economics at the University of Dhaka. He also served as the president of the Bangladesh Economic Association. During the tenure of the previous Awami League government, he was appointed Chairman of the state-owned Janata Bank.
The ACC filed a case against him and 22 others on February 20 last year, alleging embezzlement of around Tk 29.7 billion in the name of the Ennotex Group during his tenure as bank chairman. Later, on July 10 of the same year, he was arrested from the Dhanmondi area of the capital. Since then, he had been in custody.
Following the latest bail order from the Appellate Division, the legal process of the case continues, but the path to his release has been opened. The matter has sparked wide discussion in legal and economic circles.
Lawyers say that in conditional bail cases, courts usually impose restrictions such as cooperation with the trial process, prohibition on leaving the country, and mandatory appearance before the court when required. Similar conditions are expected to apply in this case, although the exact details will be clear after the release of the full written order. Proceedings of the case will continue in the next hearings.