Dhaka, Jan 29 (V7N) — A Dhaka court has sentenced Mohammad Russell, Managing Director (MD) of e-commerce platform Evaly, and his wife, Chairman Shamima Nasrin, to two years in prison in a check fraud case. The court also imposed a fine of Tk 10,000 on each defendant, with an additional two-month prison term in case of non-payment.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Partha Bhadra announced the verdict on Wednesday. Plaintiff’s lawyer Tausif Mahmud informed the media that the court has issued arrest warrants against Russell and Shamima as they remain absconding.

According to the complaint, the plaintiff, Toufiq Mahmud, ordered a Yamaha R15 motorcycle from Evaly on March 20, 2021, after being drawn in by a promotional offer. He paid Tk 245,000 for the bike. On April 3, he placed another order for two more Yamaha R15 bikes, paying Tk 590,000. However, despite Evaly’s promise to deliver the bikes within 45 days, the company failed to do so.

In response to repeated complaints, Evaly's management provided two checks to Toufiq Mahmud from their Dhanmondi office. However, bank officials advised him not to deposit them on the specified date due to insufficient funds in the account. Trusting the company’s assurances, Mahmud initially refrained from depositing the checks. However, after continued delays and unfulfilled promises, he demanded the return of Tk 1.41 million (Tk 14.10 lakh).

When repeated attempts to recover his money failed, Mahmud sent legal notices to Russell and Shamima. After receiving no response, he filed a case against them in court on February 4, 2024.

The court's verdict marks another legal setback for Evaly, which has faced multiple fraud allegations since its rapid rise and fall in Bangladesh’s e-commerce sector.

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