ADhaka court has sentenced Destiny Group Managing Director Rafiqul Amin and 18 others to 12 years imprisonment for their involvement in a money laundering case.
Judge Md Rabiul Alam of the Special Judge's Court-4 of Dhaka delivered the verdict on Wednesday (15 January).
It also imposed a total fine of Tk4515.57 crore on the 19 accused.
The court directed that the fines be deposited with the state within six months, warning of further action should the accused fail to comply, according to court officials.
Among those convicted, Rafiqul Amin, his wife Farah Diba, Destiny Group Chairman Mohammad Hossain, and Destiny-2000 President Lt Gen (retd) Harun-Ar-Rashid are currently in custody.
The remaining 15 accused have been absconding since the case was filed.
The court's judgement was based on testimonies from 141 prosecution witnesses, including the complainant.
Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) initially pressed charges against 51 individuals on 4 May, 2014, accusing them of embezzling over Tk4,200 crore from investors through the Destiny Tree Plantation (DTPL) project under Destiny Multipurpose Cooperative Society Ltd (DMCSL).
On 24 August 2016, charges were formally framed against Rafiqul Amin and his co-accused.
A separate verdict delivered on 12 May 2022, saw the same court sentencing 46 individuals, including Rafiqul Amin and Harun-Ar-Rashid, to various terms of imprisonment in another money laundering case.
In that instance, Rafiqul Amin received a 12-year sentence, while Lt Gen (retd) Harun-Ar-Rashid was sentenced to four years in prison.
