HC orders ACC action on money laundering claim involving Noman Group’s Nice Spun

The High Court has ordered the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to resolve within 90 days a complaint involving alleged corruption and money laundering by Nice Spun, a textile company under Noman Group.

The bench of Justice JBM Hassan and Justice Aziz Ahmed Bhuiyan passed the order along with a rule today (7 December) after the initial hearing of a writ petition on the matter.

Senior lawyer Manzil Morshed argued for the petitioner, while Advocate Anwarul Islam Badhon represented the ACC.

After the order, Manzil Morshed told reporters, "Nice Spun, a concern of Noman Group, secured loans of around Tk1,075 crore by mortgaging property worth about Tk50 crore in Maona mouza of Gazipur."

He said Lohagara resident Anwar Hossain filed a complaint with the ACC in 2024 over the loan and alleged money laundering, but no action followed, prompting him to file the writ.

"After the hearing, the court issued a rule and directed the ACC and Bangladesh Bank to dispose of the application within 90 days," he said.

"The court has asked why the ACC's inaction in investigating the loan allegations should not be declared illegal and why it should not be directed to carry out a probe. The order also instructed the authorities to investigate the corruption and money laundering allegations and take necessary action," he added.

Manzil Morshed said, "According to the law, the ACC must inquire into any corruption-related complaint, whether received directly or from other sources. But the ACC has taken no steps regarding the allegations against Noman Group, which is completely unlawful and amounts to encouraging corruption."

"Although various media outlets have reported allegations of corruption involving thousands of crores against different companies of Noman Group, no investigation has been initiated for unknown reasons," he added.

The writ petition named seven respondents, including the ACC chairman and a deputy governor of Bangladesh Bank.