Under the cover of bribery and corruption, Orion's Obaidul Karim has outlasted every government since 1996 by embezzling money, cheating, and forging documents. Notwithstanding all, he was unable to flee the situation in 2007 and 2008 when the military supported a caretaker administration. He has been the target of more than 14 cases involving forgery, money laundering, bribery, and obtaining wealth through dishonest means. He was given a 48-year prison term following the conclusion of the trial of three instances. Nevertheless, he was spared from carrying out the punishment. A few cases of verdicts pronouncing imprisonment due to bribery and corruption have also disappeared.
From 2009 until the present, he has partnered with powerful ministers and Members of Parliament from the former Awami League government in his business. He attempted to favor the powerful in a number of ways in addition to bribing them to avoid punishment. He founded One Entertainment specifically with the intention of paying bribes, an organization that solely accepts bribes. A few things have surfaced throughout the Khaborer Kagoj probe.
It was proved on May 5, 2023, that Obaidul Karim gave a bribe of at least Tk 25 crore to the State Minister for Power of the BNP-Jamaat government and his wife in 2005 and 2006 in the judgment given by the bench of Justice Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Khizir Hayat of the High Court.
The 273-page judgment stated that Orion's Digital Power Associates Limited had paid bribes of at least Tk 25 crore to the then State Minister for Power Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku and his wife Rumana Mahmud at different times in 2005 and 2006 to take up several power projects unethically. Obaidul Karim paid Tk 50 lakh to Iqbal Mahmud Tuku through check number 8191354 from his Southeast Bank account number 11100012814. Apart from this, Obaidul Karim's bribe distribution company One Entertainment paid at least Tk 1 crore 24 lakh 23 thousand 789 from the account numbers 0233022613 and 051309592001 of the State Bank of India and IFIC Bank of Bangladesh on June 6, 2006. A BMW car was bought for Tk 47 lakh 76 thousand 906 and given to Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku. A plot of 3 katha was bought in the Bashundhara residential area for 74 lakh 8 thousand 300 taka. It is reported that the remaining Tk 2 lakh 38 thousand 583 were given to Iqbal Hasan Mahmud through the State Bank of India. However, Obaidul Karim claimed that the money was given to his brother, who was staying in India at the time, for house rent.
Meanwhile, Rumana Mahmud, the wife of Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku, was paid Tk 1 crore through pay order number 0392959 of Oriental Bank Karwan Bazar branch from One Entertainment on December 6, 2005. Although Obaidul Karim's son-in-law Mehdi Hasan was named as receiver in this pay order, Rumana Mahmud was written there after cutting his name, and Rumana Mahmud took the money as a particular receiver. Earlier, Rumana Mahmud was given another Tk 1 crore through a pay order in the same year on March 28. In this way, it is mentioned in the description of the judgment that Obaidul Karim paid bribes of at least Tk 25 crores on different occasions. The entire verdict was written by Justice Nazrul Islam Talukder. Justice Khizir Hayat supported the verdict.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed a case in Dhanmondi police station on June 5, 2007 against former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's political secretary, Harish Chowdhury, for allegedly bribing a car to get the Jatrabari flyover work. Obaidul Karim and five people were accused in the case. After the investigation, a charge sheet was also filed against them. The trial court framed charges against the accused. However, when Obaidul Karim appealed to the High Court against this case, he was acquitted after the hearing.
On the other hand, Obaidul Karim tried to turn around in 2009 with more than 14 cases, including bribery, money embezzlement, acquisition of wealth through illegal means, forgery, and fraud, and 48 years imprisonment in 3 cases. When the 14-party coalition government was formed under the leadership of the Awami League, it partnered some of its institutions to avoid the responsibility of all misdeeds and to bring powerful leaders, including influential ministers and MPs of that government.
Among these, Orion's subsidiary Digital Power and Associates Limited was given the post of director by former Minister of State for Textiles and Jute Mirza Azam. The position of director of Dutch-Bangla Power Associate Limited was given to Awami League's influential leader and former MP Alauddin Ahmed Chowdhury Nasim. Awami League's influential leader and Narayanganj MP Shamim Osman has been given the directorship of Orion Power Sonargaon Limited. He made many such ministers and MPs partners in his various institutions and remained untouchable for the last 16 years. It is said that the effort is still going on.
