Leaders of Evaly Merchant and Customers Coordination Committee (EMCCC) have demanded the immediate release from jail of its disgraced CEO Mohammed Russell and his wife Shamima Nasrin, the company's chairman, together with their transfer to the custody of merchants and consumers with conditions.

Nasir Uddin, coordinator of EMCCC and Shakib Hasan, co-coordinator voiced the demand through a press conference at Dhaka Reporters’ Unity (DRU) on Tuesday.

They believe suchg a step would provide the best chance of restarting the business, and so generating funds to repay the company's debts.

Shakib Hasan said, "We want the Prime Minister’s intervention to release Russell for the sake of millions of merchants and consumers and we would be grateful to you (Prime Minister) for your intervention in granting bail to Russell."

READ: HC moves to confiscate bank accounts of Evaly bosses and relatives 

Over 20,000 merchants and consumers EMCCC have favoured Russell's bail on social media, he added.

Their signatures have been submitted to the Prime Minister for this. They demand that Russell be released on parole and given a chance to run his business.

They claimed at the press conference that over 7.4 million customers, 35,000 merchants and 5000 employees were directly associated with the business of Evaly, which started business inspired by the government’s Digital Bangladesh dream.

Evaly played a role in creating thousands of young entrepreneurs across the country through its new idea of business. In the absence of Russell many of them fell into risk of losing their business.

Both customers and merchants have fallen in uncertainty, so continuing the business of Evaly will be helpful to recovery of money paid in advance by customers, rather than keeping Russell in jail, they said.

READ: HC orders to audit Evaly's assets by a reputed firm

In a written statement at the press conference, Shakib Hasan said, "The merchant consumers of Evali want Shamima Nasrin, the chairman of the company, and Russell, the CEO, to give us a chance to continue our business and repay the loans."