The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

The Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate court ordered Saeed Hossain Chowdhury, a leading businessman, chairman of daily Jai Jai Din editorial board and a major shareholder of English daily The New Age, to jail yesterday.

The founding chairman and CEO of HRC Group was arrested for 'violating emergency powers rules' through his alleged money laundering activities.

Officer-in-Charge of Gulshan police station Obaidul Huq told The New Nation "Saeed Hossain Chowdhury was arrested from his house in Gulshan in the morning on charges of violating emergency powers rules."

A general diary filed with Gulshan police said information provided by intelligence agencies revealed that Saeed Hossain was involved in money laundering, which was destroying the country's economy.

Gulshan police Sub-Inspector Md Shahidullah filed the GD, in which Saeed was accused of listing assets in others' names.

He was produced before the court in the afternoon, where chief metropolitan magistrate AM Zulfikar Hayat ordered him to jail.

A plea for bail was kept on record, but the magistrate said it was beyond his jurisdiction to hear or rule on any request for bail.

The bail petition pointed out that Saeed Hossain was the CEO and chairman of HRC Group Ltd, and his arrest would affect thousands of employees of the 18 sister concerns of the company.

Source said he was the owner of 19 ocean-going ships that run in the international route.

Saeed's lawyers denied their client was involved in money laundering.

Saeed Hossain, elder brother of Awami League leader Saber Hossain Chowdhury, is also a director of One Bank.