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The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Monday adjourned till February 5, 2024, its hearing on a petition filed seeking a stay on a High Court order that asked the authorities concerned to probe into the allegations against the owner of S Alam Group of amassing huge amounts of properties abroad without Bangladesh Bank's permission.
A four-member bench of the Appellate Division, headed by Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan, set the new date. The apex court also extended the status quo until that day upon the subject matter of the High Court order.
The apex court asked that Barrister Syed Sayedul Haque Suman, who placed the newspaper report before the HC bench for necessary directives, be made a party to S Alam Group's petition before its hearing in the SC, said lawyer Saifullah Mamun, one of the counsels of S Alam Group.
Sumon had earlier applied to be a party, but his application had been opposed by S Alam Group’s lawyers and rejected by the Chamber Judge.
The Appellate Division of the SC was scheduled to hold a hearing on January 8 on a leave to appeal petition filed by S Alam and his wife, Farzana Parveen, seeking a stay on the HC order.
However, a four-member bench of the Appellate Division, headed by Justice Borhanuddin, passed the deferment order on that day after lawyer Ajmalul sought an adjournment of the hearing.
On August 23, 2023, the Chamber Judge of the Appellate Division ordered to maintain status quo till January 8, 2024, upon the subject matter of the High Court order that asked the authorities concerned to conduct an inquiry into the allegations against the S Alam Group owner.
Justice M Enayetur Rahim, the then Chamber Judge of the Appellate Division, passed the order after hearing a petition filed by the S Alam Group seeking a stay on the HC order. The Chamber Judge also sent the matter to the regular Appellate Division bench for a detailed hearing on it that day.
Earlier on August 21, Mohammad Saiful Alam, owner of the S Alam Group, and his wife Farzana Parveen submitted the petition to the Appellate Division seeking a stay on the High Court order.
On August 6, the High Court directed the authorities concerned to conduct an inquiry into the allegations against S Alam Group regarding the transfer and investment of huge amount of money abroad without permission from the Bangladesh Bank.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) and the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Police were asked to comply with the direction. The organisations were also asked to submit inquiry reports to the HC within two months.
The High Court bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Khizir Hayat passed the order on a Suo Motu move after considering a report published in an English daily on August 4, 2023, under the headline “S Alam’s Aladdin’s lamp”.
Supreme Court lawyer Syed Sayedul Haque Suman placed the newspaper report before the HC bench, seeking necessary directives.