15 bank accounts of Desh TV's MD to remain frozen

The Supreme Court chamber judge today stayed till August 21 a High Court verdict that ordered the authorities concerned to release 15 frozen bank accounts of Desh TV's Managing Director Arif Hasan and his firm "Hasan Telecom."

Chamber judge of the Appellate Division of the SC Justice M Enayetur Rahim passed the order following a petition filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) challenging the HC verdict.

The apex court chamber judge also sent the ACC's petition to its full bench for hearing of the matter on August 21.

ACC's lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan told The Daily Star that the 15 bank accounts will remain frozen following the SC chamber judge's order.

Arif Hasan and his company made suspicious transactions in the bank accounts, he said.

Following a petition filed by the ACC, Dhaka metropolitan sessions judge's court in 2020 ordered the authorities to freeze the bank accounts due to suspicious transactions.

An inquiry into the allegations including that of money laundering against Arif Hasan is going on. Arif Hasan filed an appeal with the HC challenging the metropolitan sessions judge's order.

The HC on July 27 last year dismissed the appeal saying that the appeal has become infructuous (ineffective), but ordered the authorities to release the bank accounts.

The ACC recently filed the petition with the SC challenging the HC verdict, lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan added. No lawyer appeared for Arif Hasan.

Arif Hasan's lawyer MD Arshadul Rouf tsaid that he was not sent any notice about today's hearing of the ACC's petition.

"We will place argument against the ACC's appeal on August 21 before the apex court," he said.