Family claims MNH Bulu victim of conspiracy, demands his release
Family members seek the Prime Minister’s intervention in the harassment caused by multiple lawsuits being filed for the same issue by various government entities
The family members of businessman MNH Bulu, arrested in a case for alleged embezzlement of money, say a number of separate government organisations are harassing him, lodging multiple cases on the same issue, violating the rules.
At a National Press Club press conference on Tuesday, Nusrat Laila Bulu, daughter of Chairman Bulu of the BNS Group of Companies, demanded her father's release from jail, saying, "My father is a victim of conspiracy."
In a written speech, Hosne Ara Naz, wife of MNH Bulu, said her husband has been in jail since 26 November last year, for a case filed by United Commercial Bank on allegations of embezzling government incentive money given to Amir Food Products Ltd.
"MNH Bulu was accused as the nominee of the bank account of Amir Hossain, the key accused in a case filed in 2015. But there was no signature of my husband in the nominee form and the account holder did not inform Bulu about the matter."
Naz said the bank also issued a document stating that "Bulu had no involvement in the embezzlement." The bank on the same day added it to the case filed with Banani Police Station.
"Later on 5 December 2018, a trial court exempted MNH Bulu from the case filed under section 241 in the Code of Criminal Procedure. After that, in August 2020, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) filed a case with Banani Police Station and in December 2021, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed yet another case against Bulu on the same issue," she added.
Bulu secured bail on 14 December last year in the case filed by the CID but a day later, on 15 December, the ACC filed a case on the same issue, the family claimed.
Nusrat Laila Bulu, also a director of BNS Group, told reporters, "My uncle Amir Hossian named my father only as a nominee for a bank account when starting his business of "Amir Foods". They did not run any business in partnership and my father was not involved in the business of Amir Foods."
"None of the allegations against him have been proven. Moreover, ACC officials are not responding to our pleas for talking to them," she said.
To keep Bulu's companies running, his family members have sought the Prime Minister's intervention regarding the harassment of multiple cases being filed for the same issue.
The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, in an order, kept the case filed by the CID in abeyance till 13 March.
Earlier on 13 August 2020, the CID filed a money laundering case with Banani Police Station against 13 people, including Amir Hossain and an older brother of Bulu.
On 7 October 2018, the ACC filed a case against the BNS Group of Companies chairman, MNH Bulu, for concealing information about Tk109.17 crore in his wealth statement.