The High Court has granted six months’ bail to former lawmaker Kamrul Ashraf Khan Poton, owner of M/S Poton Traders, in a high-profile case involving the embezzlement of 72,000 tonnes of government-imported urea fertiliser valued at Tk 582 crore.
The alleged misappropriation of Poton, a former independent lawmaker from Narsingdi 2 constituency, occurred during the Awami League regime hit newspaper headline.
The bench of Justice Md Iqbal Kabir and Justice Md Riaz Uddin Khan issued the bail order on Monday, asking the Anti-Corruption Commission to explain why Poton should not be granted regular bail.
This bail was granted after a fresh application was submitted to the High Court after toppling of Awami League government on August 5, challenging a lower court’s decision to deny Poton’s bail plea.
The application followed the earlier rejection of a rule issued by a different High Court bench in June 2024, which had also asked the ACC to justify its opposition to granting bail.
Deputy attorney general Farid Uddin Khan said that a recommendation was sent to the Attorney General for filing an appeal against Poton’s bail, citing the scale of the alleged embezzlement, which had drawn widespread attention during the Awami League government.
Additional attorney general Aneek R Hoque and ACC lawyer Shahin Ahmed  also opposed Poton’s bail.
The ACC filed the case on November 26, 2023, accusing Poton and four associates of misappropriating government-imported fertiliser during transportation. The case alleges that this act caused significant financial losses to the state.
Earlier, the High Court had granted bail to Poton, but the Appellate Division stayed the order on June 12, 2024, in response to an ACC appeal.
The Supreme Court then directed the High Court to dispose of the pending rule.
Poton’s new lawyer, Mohammad Hossain Lipu, stated that the fresh bail plea was based on procedural grounds and sought relief against the lower court’s rejection of Poton’s earlier application.
Senior pro-Bangladesh Nationalist Party lawyer Ruhul Quddus Kazal moved Poton’s new application seeking bail.
