Dhaka, Oct 26 (V7N)- A United States court has temporarily suspended arrest warrants issued against Bangladesh's Finance Adviser, Salehuddin Ahmed, and Bangladesh Bank Governor, Ahsan H Mansur. The warrants, initially ordered on Thursday in a case initiated by Smith Cogeneration (Bangladesh), sought to compel the two officials to testify regarding a $31.9 million penalty the company claims from the Bangladesh government.

US District Judge Carl J Nichols had instructed the US Marshals Service to bring Ahmed and Mansur to court for statements related to the case. However, by Friday, the court paused the warrant orders, as shared on Facebook by Bangladesh's Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mushfiqul Fazal Ansarey.

According to Ansarey, the dispute traces back to a 1997 power purchase agreement that allowed Smith Cogeneration to build a barge-mounted power plant in northern Bangladesh. However, the agreement was annulled in 1999 by the then Awami League government, leading Smith Cogeneration to seek recourse in a US court. The Washington DC Circuit Court recently issued a complex ruling in the matter, which was suspended on Friday, adding another layer of legal ambiguity.

Ansarey asserted that Bangladesh’s current interim government, formed after recent revolutionary upheaval, should not be held accountable for the contractual decisions of former administrations. He also underscored the necessity of investigating officials who may have withheld relevant information from the present administration.

The legal development, reported by US-based outlet Law360, spotlights ongoing diplomatic and judicial challenges for Bangladesh's financial leadership.

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