PK Halder to be brought back: Asaduzzaman

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Sunday said legal action will be taken against fugitive Bangladeshi businessman and former NRB Global Bank Managing Director Proshanta Kumar Halder alias PK Halder following the official announcement of his detainment by India.

"India does not inform Bangladesh anything about the arrest of PK Halder, who is a wanted in Bangladesh. Bangladeshi government has issued an arrest warrant against him through Interpol. If Indian officials inform us about his detainment, he will be brought back for legal action," he said.

He came up with the remarks while addressing a seminar on 'Sheikh Hasina's Homecoming: Reconstruction of History' at the National Press Club.

PK Halder, along with five others, was detained from Ashoknagar in West Bengal of India on Saturday morning.

India's economic intelligence agency Directorate of Enforcement (ED) carried out search operations at various residential buildings linked to Halder's associates at Ashoknagar of North 24 Parganas in West Bengal in connection with a financial fraud of multi-million Taka, diplomatic sources said.

Six persons, including PK Halder, were picked up from Ashoknagar today, the sources confirmed.

Earlier in a press release on Friday last, the ED said it was carrying out search operations at various residential buildings linked to Bangladesh nationals namely Proshanta Kumar Halder, Pritish Kumar Halder, Pranesh Kumar Halder and their associates across the state of West Bengal.

On March 1 last year, PK Halder fled Bangladesh through Jashore's Benapole land port.

According to media reports, although PK Halder possessed two passports -- oneBangladeshi and another Canadian -- but he used his Bangladeshi passport to go to India.

In January, 2021, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed five cases against 33 people, including PK Halder, for allegedly laundering over Taka 350 crore of International Leasing and Financial Services Limited (ILFSL).

He had laundered about Taka 80 crore to Canada and amassed about Taka 426 crore beyond his known sources of income.