Hall-Mark chairman denied bail

Hall-Mark Group Chairman Jasmine Islam was denied bail by the High Court yesterday.

She is accused in a case over misappropriating Tk 85.87 crore from Janata Bank, a state-owned commercial bank. 

The HC also directed jail authorities to immediately take necessary steps for providing proper treatment to Jasmine in jail.           

Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice K M Hafizul Alam passed the order after hearing a rule issued earlier over granting bail to Jasmine, who is now in Kashimpur Jail in the corruption case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).

ACC lawyer Advocate Khurshid Alam Khan told The Daily Star that the HC passed the order as the Kashimpur jail authorities yesterday submitted a medical report before the court, saying that Jasmine is suffering from various health issues including hypertension and urine diseases.

On November 1, 2016, the ACC filed the case with Motijheel Police Station accusing Jasmine and 15 others for misappropriating Tk 85.87 crore from Janata Bank.

On November 5 last year, following a bail petition filed by Jasmine, the HC issued a rule asking the ACC and the government to explain why she should not be granted bail in the case.

Jasmine, wife of Hall-Mark Group Managing Director Tanvir Mahmud, was accused in charge sheets of all 11 cases filed on October 4 in 2012 by the ACC, over misappropriation of more than Tk 1,568 crore.

On July 17 this year, the HC directed the jail authorities to submit a report on Jasmine's health condition before the same court, after her lawyer Advocate Abdul Matin Khasru submitted a bail prayer for Jasmine as she was physically weak due to sickness.

On July 11 this year, a Dhaka court sentenced Jasmine to three years of rigorous imprisonment in a case filed over failure to submit her wealth statement to the ACC within a specified time.