Dhaka: The High Court on Tuesday directed the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to submit the probe reports on BASIC Bank loan scam within seven days.

An HC bench comprising Justice Ruhul Quddus and Justice Mahmudul Hoque passed the order while hearing a rule issued earlier in this connection.

The court also asked BASIC Bank to submit the decisions of its board meetings approving the loans in question and directed Bangladesh Bank to submit its probe reports on the loan scam within four weeks.

Lawyer ZI Khan Panna and Muntasir Uddin Ahmed stood for the petitioner while Khurshid Alam Khan represented the ACC.

On November 16 last, the High Court issued a rule asking the authorities concerned to explain why directives should not be given for further investigation into 56 cases filed in connection with the BASIC bank loan scam.

The rule came following a writ petition filed by one Harun-Or-Rashid of Noakhali.

The ACC chairman, finance secretary, Bangladesh Bank governor and BASIC Bank Managing Director were made respondents to the rule.

According to the Bangladesh Bank probe reports, BASIC Bank disbursed loans of about Tk 4,500 crore to a number of private companies violating the banking rules and the companies in collusion with bank officials swindled the money.

The central bank probe committee found massive irregularities on loan disbursement from the three branches of the bank, including Gulshan, Shantinagar and Dilkusha.

Later, the ACC filed 56 cases in September last year.