A vested quarter is trying to defame Sikder Group, a leading business conglomerate in the country, socially with an intention of tarnishing its image.
As part of the ill motive, a false case has been filed against Sikder Group Director Ron Haque Sikder with false and fabricated information.
According to officials concerned, although Sikder Group director never applied for any loan to Exim Bank, statement of the case, filed by Exim Bank Director Sirajul Islam with Gulshan Police Station in capital, claimed that Ron Haque Sikder had been seeking a loan of Tk 500 crore from Exim Bank.
In the statement, Sirajul Islam also raised some other false allegations against him.
National Bank Ltd (NBL), in which Ron Haque Sikder is a director, on Wednesday also said that the allegations raised against him are totally false and fabricated.
In a written statement signed by Advocate Abdul Baset Majumder, a legal adviser to NBL, refuted the allegations made in the case.
“This case (filed by Exim Bank) is baseless and fabricated. The only purpose of this case is to socially defame Ron Haque Sikder, National Bank Ltd and its board of directors,” said the statement.
According to the statement, Sirajul Islam himself has received loans from NBL, which is owned by Sikder Group.
Sikder Group has long been running businesses in the country with reputation and contributing greatly to different sectors and the country’s overall development.
The statement of Advocate Abdul Baset Majumder, also a member of the Advisory Council of ruling Awami League, also read: “One of the directors of Exim Bank has received loan facilities from National Bank at different times for the expansion of his own businesses. Not only that, he has taken loan facilities in the name of his daughter. The director sought another loan against a dubious name.”
According to the legal advisor, Sirajul Islam, the plaintiff of the false case, himself has taken loan facilities from NBL. “Even, during the ongoing coronavirus period, one of the directors of Exim Bank and his organisations have applied for a huge amount of loan from National Bank and already received Tk five crore on May 13 last.”
The statement said Sirajul Islam filed the case on May 19 citing an incident that he claimed to have taken place on May 7.
In the case, he claimed that Ron Haque Sikder had applied for a loan of Tk 500 crore, which is totally fabricated and intentional.
“Actually, Ron Haque Sikder never applied for any loan and nobody will be able to show any documents in this regard,” said Abdul Baset Majumder. “In the case statement, it has been mentioned that Ron Haque Sikder and top officials of NBL went to the Gulshan Avenue branch of Exim Bank, but the information is totally false. Neither Ron Haque Sikder nor any top NBL official went there.”
“Where there is no application for loan, there is no question of any meeting of Ron Haque Sikder with Exim Bank managing director and additional managing director. Accordingly, there is no scope of bargaining on collateral for the so-called loan of Tk 500 crore,” said the BNL legal advisor.
He also mentioned that the plaintiff of the case was neither a witness to the claimed occurrence, nor was he present on the spot.
Further, he said, the case has been filed 12 days after the so-called incident and without any discussion with the Exim Bank managing director and additional managing director.
The legal adviser said all of the information proves that the case has been filed with an ill motive and for tarnishing the image of a topmost business group.
In the statement, he protested the filing of the false case and expressed his hope of that the fact would be revealed through neutral investigation and the criminals be brought to book.