Alesha Mart chairman, wife jailed for 6 months in cheque dishonour case

A Dhaka court has sentenced Alesha Mart Chairman Manjurul Alam Sikder and his wife Sabia Chowdhury to six months imprisonment each in a cheque dishonour case.

Dhaka's Second Joint Metropolitan Sessions Judge Tasruzzaman announced the verdict on Thursday. In addition, the court also fined them Tk3.46 lakh.

Confirming the news, the defendant's lawyer Nikunja Bihari Acharjya told The Business Standard that Manjur was already in jail over another case. The court has issued an arrest warrant against his wife Sabia Chowdhury, who is currently absconding.

According to case documents, a buyer, Nuruzzaman Ripon, placed an order on 8 June 2021 to buy a Yamaha motorcycle at a discount from Alesha Mart Ltd. He paid Tk2.50 lakh against the order through mobile banking but did not get the motorcycle.

After failing to deliver the motorcycle, Alesha Mart gave Nuruzzaman a cheque of Tk3.46 lakh on 28 December 2021. Later, when the plaintiff submitted the cheque for encashment at Sonali Bank Ltd on 20 March 2022, it bounced.

He contacted Alesha Mart several times over the matter, but no remedial steps were taken by the company, according to the case statements.

On 19 May 2022, he filed a case against Alesha Mart over the matter.

Manjur was arrested on 13 January in the Banani area of the capital on charges of fraud and money laundering.

Police said there were over a hundred cases of fraud filed by customers against Manjur that led to his arrest.

Earlier on 16 May last year, a case was filed under the Money Laundering Act, 2012 against him and four others from Alesha Mart with the Banani police station.

A Dhaka Court ordered to freeze all properties of Alesha Mart on 21 June 2023 and barred four persons, including the company Chairman Manjurul Alam Sikder, from travelling abroad.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has accused him of laundering over Tk421 crore.

Despite declaring an income of only Tk13.9 lakh for the 2020-21 financial year, Manjurul allegedly purchased assets worth Tk31 crore between 31 January and 25 August 2021.