We have no official confirmation of PK Halder’s arrest: Home Minister

No official information has been sent to Bangladesh regarding PK Halder's arrest in India, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said today.

"PK Haldar is a wanted person in Bangladesh," the minister remarked while responding to a question from reporters after a seminar on "Sheikh Hasina's Homecoming: Reconstruction of History" organised by the Bangladesh Progressive Columnist Forum at the National Press Club on Sunday.

"We've been looking for him for a long time via Interpol. He has been arrested, but we are yet to receive any official information regarding this. We will do all our work legally", added Asaduzzaman Khan.

Indian media reported on Saturday that PK Haldar had been arrested from West Bengal.

The Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen yesterday said, "We do not know anything about this officially. I don't have the details. I saw the news of the arrest in some newspapers."

"It is better to ask the home minister as we will work according to the directives of the home ministry," Momen added.

After being arrested on Saturday PK Halder was placed in three days remand by a West Bengal court on Sunday (15 May).

According to various media reports, the arrest was made during multiple drives in at least nine places of Kolkata and West Bengal's North and South 24 Parganas districts by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), an investigative agency of the Indian finance ministry.

PK Halder was hiding in a house in Ashok Nagar in the North 24 Pargana district, the ED claimed.

PK Halder, who has been absconding, acquired illegal assets worth around Tk426 crore in various illegal ways in his name and under various real and fake companies and individuals, according to the charge sheet.

To conceal the location of his illegal assets, PK Halder transacted money through 178 bank accounts. He deposited Tk6,080 crore in these accounts and withdrew Tk6,076 crore from those in his name and anonymously.

According to the ACC, PK Halder has swindled at least Tk11,000 crore from various organisations.