Chayanika Chowdhury surrenders, granted bail in cheque fraud case

Director Chayanika Chowdhury has been granted bail after surrendering before a Dhaka court in connection with a cheque fraud case.

On Thursday (May 8), she appeared before the court and filed a bail petition through her lawyer. After the hearing, Judge Md Bulbul Islam of Dhaka’s 7th Joint Metropolitan Sessions Court granted her bail, confirmed court bench assistant Md Shamim Ahmed.

Earlier, on May 6, the same court had cancelled her bail and issued an arrest warrant as she failed to appear for cross-examination scheduled for that day. Her lawyer had sought more time, but the court rejected the plea, cancelled her bail, and issued the warrant. The court also set June 26 for closing arguments.

The case dates back to May 14, 2013, when producer Rashedul Islam Riaz filed a complaint accusing Chayanika of cheque fraud. She initially secured bail in June 2014 after surrendering to the court. The case was transferred for trial in August 2014, and formal charges were framed on February 10, 2015.

According to the case, Riaz had entered into an agreement with Chayanika on August 24, 2012, to produce a television drama titled Jibon Shundor Hok (Let Life Be Beautiful), paying her Tk 2.3 lakh. In return, Chayanika issued him a cheque of the same amount on October 30, 2012, but failed to produce the drama. When Riaz contacted her, she expressed her inability to proceed and asked him to cash the cheque in January 2013. The cheque bounced multiple times. Despite legal notices, she did not return the money, prompting Riaz to file the case.