Army Chief Comes to 85-yr-old's Rescue from Loan Shackles: DS Report

Sohel · #1 July 10, 2007, 03:23 AM

From The Daily Star, link: http://www.thedailystar.net/2007/07/10/d70710011611.htm

"Army chief comes to 85-yr-old's rescue from loan shackles
Our Correspondent, Nilphamari

Eighty-five year old Manoranjan Roy, who had been sent to jail as he failed to repay a loan taken from the Krishi Unnayan Bank, was released yesterday as Chief of Army Staff General Moeen U Ahmed cleared the poor man's debt.
The army chief took the move following a report of the daily Prothom Alo yesterday along with a photo that showed the elderly man being led away by police in handcuffs with a rope tied around his waist to Nilphamari Jail.

General Moeen paid a total of Tk 19,580, which included the original loan of Tk 9,000 and its interest, from his personal fund to the bank (now Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank) through the local army camp.

Advocate Bapi Bardhan appealed and prayed for Manoranjan's bail at the court of District Magistrate Khandakar Mokhlesur Rahman in the morning. Accepting the appeal, the court granted the bail and sent the appeal to the additional district magistrate.

Meanwhile, Abdus Samad, manager of the Bangabandhu Branch of Krishi Unnayan Bank, submitted a compromise deed between the bank and Manoranjan to the court, as the bank received the money.

After the hearing, Additional Magistrate Ayub Hossain discharged Manoranjan from the case. Advocate Ashraful Latif Kibria moved for the complainant in the court.

Manoranjan did not know who actually played the role behind his release when he was freed at about 2:00pm.

"I have only a house on a 4-decimal land where I live with my two sons and grandchildren. I have to spend the night at my nephew Shailen's house, as I have no room of my own. I wondered how I could pay off so much debt. That's why I assumed that I would have to pass the rest of my life in jail."

As soon as he came to know that General Moeen came to his rescue, a tearful Manoranjan said, "May God bless him."

Manoranjan was sent to jail on Sunday as he failed to pay Tk 9,000 with interest to the Krishi Unnayan Bank.

Son of late Padmalochon of Golna village under Kaliganj upazila, Manoranjan took the loan in September, 1988 and bought two cows with it. One of the cattle died, while he was forced to sell the other for the treatment of his ailing wife Dulamoni, who also died. By that time, Manoranjan had repaid Tk 1000.

In 1999, the bank filed a case against him with a Nilphamari court and he was then jailed for 8 days before being freed on bail. The court on June 12 last year sentenced him to six months imprisonment in absentia.

While talking to The Daily Star, Manoranjan's son Nripendranath Roy, 50, burst into tears and said that they could not go to the court to free their father due to financial crisis."

Due process of the law was not bypassed in this particular case, definitely a first. God bless you General Moeen.

PoorFan · #2 July 10, 2007, 04:49 AM

Ok, its a nice news to read but bro Shohel, if you continue to open new thread on every special news ...
There will be flood of new threads on FC I guess.

zahid · #3 July 10, 2007, 04:51 AM

Touching. Goriber koshto amra ajkal keu vuji na.

Hatebreed · #4 July 10, 2007, 05:27 AM

That's very noble deed. God bless him.

shaad · #5 July 10, 2007, 07:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zahid
Touching. Goriber koshto amra ajkal keu vuji na.

An interesting analysis of exactly this, how we (well-to-do people) see poverty, is presented in Naomi Hossain's book Elite Perceptions of Poverty in Bangladesh (UPL 2005). Also see her recent article in Slate (the Bangladeshi one).

Alien · #6 July 10, 2007, 07:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PoorFan
Ok, its a nice news to read but bro Shohel, if you continue to open new thread on every special news ...
There will be flood of new threads on FC I guess.

This doesn't belong under "Bangladesh Breaking News" and does not have anything to do with politics. So I guess it deserves a thread on it's own.

Miraz · #7 July 10, 2007, 07:23 AM

Very noble work indeed.

But why I fee l that the news was made as a part of the image building exercise of Gen. Moyeen?

I am sure when the original news was published in "Prothom Alo" someone would have definitely taken the initiative to free him keeping their identity anonymous. (I personally know a number of people who preferred not be named in similar situations). If Gen. Moyeen was the person who came first, why it has to be made public with such "arombor"? He could have simply paid the debt keeping his identity anonymous.

Sorry guys!! May be too much conspiracy theory, but bitter past always makes me afraid of the "General Tricks".

Shafin · #8 July 10, 2007, 07:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Miraz
Very noble work indeed.

But why I fee l that the news was made as a part of the image building exercise of Gen. Moyeen?

I am sure when the original news was published in "Prothom Alo" someone would have definitely taken the initiative to free him keeping their identity anonymous. (I personally know a number of people who preferred not be named in similar situations). If Gen. Moyeen was the person who came first, why it has to be made public with such "arombor"? He could have simply paid the debt keeping his identity anonymous.

Sorry guys!! May be too much conspiracy theory, but bitter past always makes me afraid of the "General Tricks".

You have stirred up a really familiar fear.

Alien · #9 July 10, 2007, 07:54 AM

He probably did it out of pity. I just calculated that the guy went to jail for approx $320. And the guy is 85 years old and the sentence is more like a life prison for him.

Prosecutors in Bangladesh are a bunch of idiots. I bet they would prosecute their own father if they had a debt like this.

Rabz · #10 July 10, 2007, 08:07 AM

well done, great publicity.

everybody wins.

Ehsan · #11 July 10, 2007, 08:15 AM

I do not see General being involved with any kinds of politics. I really think his intentions are good. I do not think he asked anyone to publish this news. The reason I could think of why he did not ask to keep it anonymous could be due to the fact that he wanted to show an example that how to not break the law even being in the power. I think he has set a great example, law must never be violated or taken in hand even if you are in power. Salute to you General!

Publicity could be another main factor, after all he is in tremendous pressure from the international bodies regarding the human rights. As long as its not done in greed, its all good.

Bengaliprince176 · #12 July 10, 2007, 09:08 AM

thats kind of him!! im sure the head of the general can afford to help an 85 year old man in his debt problem, let him spend his last years well, good on the general!

Kabir · #13 July 10, 2007, 09:15 AM

Yea, my mom was really upset when he was taken to the jail. She was almost crying when she was saying that to me on MSN. But last night she was so excited, and told me that he's been released by the Army chief. have you seen the picture? She said it appeared on Prothom Alo at the beginning. That's the newspaper that made it happen for him. I tried seeing Prothom Alo last night, but it wasn't loading

Tigers_eye · #14 July 10, 2007, 09:59 AM

Amar mathai agun lagar moto obostha.

"In 1999, the bank filed a case against him with a Nilphamari court and he was then jailed for 8 days before being freed on bail. The court on June 12 last year sentenced him to six months imprisonment in absentia."

How many big shots are bank defaulters? Yet why the banks don't take these kind of step against those? Gorib'er upor jor khatanotey onek bahaduri.

Kabir · #15 July 10, 2007, 10:07 AM

Gorib er upor jor er thekeo boro kotha hoilo, he wanted to return the whole thing he borrowed. He bought two cows, and one cow died. His wife got sick, so he sold the other one. Did her treatment. By then, only 1 thousand taka was left. He was nice enough to return that to the bank.

Unfortunately, corporations work differently than individuals. T_E just said it...the same corporations can't find their balls when it comes to getting some of those big defaulters...but they're the biggest machos when it comes to an 85 year old man.

ialbd · #16 July 10, 2007, 10:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sydney

everybody wins.

exactly sydney bhai, everybody wins..... end of story....

sunnyctg · #17 July 10, 2007, 10:47 AM

shows the character of the army chief. i know some would disagree but i rather hav a stable and progressive military gov rathen then a corrupted distructive political gov.

Electrequiem · #18 July 10, 2007, 11:15 AM

Hats of to Moeen U Ahmed. A very noble deed, indeed.

He could have kept it a little discreet if he wanted to, though.

Puck · #19 July 10, 2007, 12:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alien
He probably did it out of pity. I just calculated that the guy went to jail for approx $320. And the guy is 85 years old and the sentence is more like a life prison for him.

Prosecutors in Bangladesh are a bunch of idiots. I bet they would prosecute their own father if they had a debt like this.

it is the bank who should have taken a more sensible approach. we should not blame the justice system but the bank itself. it should have organised some other way of paying off the debt.

Miraz · #20 July 10, 2007, 12:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Puck
it is the bank who should have taken a more sensible approach. we should not blame the justice system but the bank itself. it should have organised some other way of paying off the debt.

Can you please suggest one or two alternative ways?

Kabir · #21 July 10, 2007, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Miraz
Can you please suggest one or two alternative ways?

What do they do to the bank defaulters?

No. 1 is, write it off as a loss. For banks, it's really petty loss. I'm not sure if this is the term we used in accounting when I was doing my A'levels. But you know what I mean.

Puck · #22 July 10, 2007, 12:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Miraz
Can you please suggest one or two alternative ways?

kabir has suggested the most sensible alternative. if his alternative is not acceptable to you i would suggest that the bank should have asked the elderly gentleman to pay 10 taka per month until the debt is paid off and agree default on the interest.

Kabir · #23 July 10, 2007, 12:53 PM

Alternative 2: declare bankrupcy. The old bura has nothing...and he's practically bankrupt.

Alternative 3: Take that money from the insurance. Each and every loan has an insurance...AFAIK.

Certainly, from moral and PRACTICAL point of view, any of these 3 alternatives are better than taking him to jail, pay legal fees, punish him for Taka 19,000, and whatever crap they were doing. On top of it, the amount of lost trust from public (which in Bangladesh may not make any sense at all) for the bank will certainly be quite a bit of load for the bank in the long run.

Miraz · #24 July 10, 2007, 12:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Puck
kabir has suggested the most sensible alternative. if his alternative is not acceptable to you i would suggest that the bank should have asked the elderly gentleman to pay 10 taka per month until the debt is paid off and agree default on the interest.

It's not about acceptability to me or anyone else. It's about the system. Banks cannot simply write off the amount and count as petty loss as that will become a practice to everyone.

I was sincerely expecting some sensible alternate suggestions so that no one should suffer like the old man.

I think in such situations, the bank should consult with the local government for compensation or something similar.

Kabir · #25 July 10, 2007, 12:59 PM

Miraz bhai: Alternatives 1/2/3 are all normal practice in any banking system. Governments usually don't interfere in these.

The only reason why it took years for Credit Cards to get established in Bangladesh (not sure if it did completely yet) is because of that system that the banks fail to follow. In NA, you'll find rising interests and rising principles, simply to cover the lost money in loan. No loan is risk free, and banks know that. That's why, they insure those loans through corporate insurances.