S Alam Group sends legal notice to govt, 4 newspapers

A legal notice was sent to the government, the editors of four national newspapers, and eight journalists from these dailies on Thursday in relation to reports the newspapers published on Mohammad Saiful Alam and S Alam Group and a loan given by Islami Bank.

The notice, issued on behalf of Saiful Alam by the law firm Ajmalul Hossain KC and Associates, was delivered by registered post.

Unless the mentioned reports were removed by 13 August 2023, a writ petition would be filed with the High Court, seeking necessary remedies to safeguard the fundamental rights of Saiful Alam and the S Alam Group, the notice warned.

The notice was served on Inam Ahmed, editor of The Business Standard, as well as reporters Jebun Nesa Alo and Sakhawat Prince, for a report titled "How a 24-year-old greenhorn is 'blessed' with a Tk900cr loan" published on 27 November 2022.

A similar notice was served on the editor and publisher of The Daily Star, Mahfuz Anam, along with its executive editor Syed Ashfaqul Haque, and journalists Partha Partim Bhattacharya and Zyma Islam. The notices were related to two reports: one titled "Tk7,246 crore loans to 9 firms: BB probing breach of rules at Islami Bank" published on 29 November 2022, and another titled "S Alam's Aladdin's lamp" published on 4 August 2023.

Additionally, the same notice was served on Prothom Alo's editor and publisher Matiur Rahman, as well as their journalist Sanaullah Sakib, for their report published on 24 November 2022, under the headline "Islami Bank e Bhayangkar November" (Terrible November in Islami Bank).

The legal notice was also sent to Nurul Kabir, editor of the New Age, and reporter Mostafizur Rahman for a report titled "S Alam Group lifts Tk30,000cr loans from IBBL alone" published in the daily on 30 November 2022.

Meanwhile, on 4 December 2022, the High Court directed government agencies to investigate allegations of improprieties concerning loans obtained by S Alam Group from three private banks – Islami Bank Limited, First Security Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited, and Social Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited.

This order, initiated suo motu by the bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Khizir Hayat, followed the court's cognisance of four newspaper reports on the allegations of disbursement of the loans to the company and others by the three profit-making banks.

Moreover, on 6 August 2023, the High Court ordered a comprehensive probe into the suspected laundering of at least $1 billion by S Alam Group owner Mohammed Saiful Alam in relation to The Daily Star report "S Alam's Aladdin's lamp".

To carry out this investigation, the High Court has specifically tasked the Anti-Corruption Commission and the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit with the responsibility. They have been directed to complete the inquiry and submit a report within two months.