Brac Bank pays Jahalam Tk5 lakh in compensation

Brac Bank on Thursday paid Tk5 lakh to jute mill worker Jahalam who was wrongfully arrested and put behind bars in 26 cases of loan fraud.

Asaduzzaman, the lawyer for BRAC Bank, handed over the cheque of Tk5 lakh to Jahalam at Supreme Court premises, complying with the order of the chamber judge of the Appellate Division.

After receiving the cheque, Jahalam told the media, "I got justice from the court."

On 29 August, the chamber judge stayed the High Court verdict that ordered Brac Bank to pay Jahalam Tk15 lakh as compensation, on the condition of paying him Tk5 lakh within seven days.

In the order, the court had said, "If the amount is not paid within this period, the stay order would be withdrawn."

The chamber judge had also set 31 October for hearing the appeal in the full bench of the appellate division headed by chief justice.

On 15 August, the full text of the HC verdict was published ordering Brac Bank to pay Jahalam Tk15 lakh compensation. The bank, later, filed an appeal against the HC verdict.

In its verdict, the HC asked Brac Bank to pay the compensation to Jahalam on 30 September 2020.

In 2012, the Anti-Corruption Commission filed 33 cases against Salek over the embezzlement of a huge amount of money from Brac Bank and Sonali Bank through cheque fraudulence.

However, police arrested Jahalam in 26 cases even though Salek was accused in those lawsuits.

Jahalam's misery came to light when a national daily ran a report titled "Wrongfully accused in 33 cases, I am Jahalam, not Salek."

In 2019, Supreme Court lawyer Amit Dasgupta presented the report before the court. Meanwhile, jute mill worker Jahalam had served three years behind bars.

The HC, later, issued a suo moto rule and heard the explanations of four people, including the representative of the ACC chairman, in the 26 cases. The court, later, granted bail to Jahalam.