Court orders attachment of Ron Sikder's 100 acres land in Purbachal
The land was temporarily allotted to Ron's company Power Pace Holding Limited for the construction of a 100 to 142- storey Icon Tower
A Dhaka court today (21 April) ordered authorities to attach 100 acres of land in sector 19 of Purbachal New City Project which had been allocated to Sikder Group Managing Director Ron Haque Sikder.
The land was temporarily allotted to Power Pace Holding Limited, a company owned by Ron Haque Sikder, for the construction of a 100 to 142- storey Icon Tower.
Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Md Zakir Hossain Ghalib issued the order in response to a petition, filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), said Akhtarul Islam, deputy director of the anti-graft body.
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According to the petition, a seven-member investigation team has been formed to probe allegations against Zainul Haque Sikder, chairman of the Board of Directors of National Bank Limited, and his associates.
The allegations include corruption, misuse of power, embezzlement of public funds under false pretences, illegal loans in exchange of bribes and money laundering, which are linked to Sikder Group.
During the investigation, it was unearthed that RAJUK's Central Business District (CBD) temporarily allotted the land to Power Pace Holding Limited, owned by Ron Haque Sikder for constructing an Iconic Tower in the Purbachal New City Project.
The plot was allotted through a manipulated auction at a fixed rate of TK30.25 crore per acre. Upon document review and site inspection, it was found that the Sikder Group's private security force had taken control of the land by paying an instalment of TK270.50 crore.
A three-story building was also being constructed on the site without Rajuk's approval. Power was supplied by self-constructed power houses.
Besides, in the disguise of development work, a fabricated record was created through Fast Security Islami Bank PLC, Kawran Bazar branch. Based on this, a loan of TK110.27 crore was approved, disbursed, and then misused through illicit transfer and conversion.
The attachment of the proposed construction project has become inevitable for the sake of proper investigation of the case.
