The Anti-Corruption Commission served notices on Sunday to seven bank officials including three managing directors of leading private banks for questioning in connection with the embezzlement of about Tk11bn by Bismillah Group.
The notices, signed by ACC deputy director Syed Iqbal Hossain, were sent to the bank officials asking them to be present at the ACC headquarters on May 26.
The banks involved are Janata Bank, Prime Bank, Shahjalal Islami Bank, Jamuna Bank and Premier Bank.
ACC on Sunday summoned Brac Bank managing director Syed Mahbubur Rahman (former Prime Bank deputy managing director), Mercantile Bank managing director Ehsanul Haque (former Prime Bank deputy managing director) and Bank Asia managing director M Mahmud Hossain (former Prime Bank senior executive vice-president).
The other four are Premier Bank assistant managing director Reazul Karim (former Prime Bank deputy managing director), Al-Arafah Islami Bank deputy managing director Golam Rabbani (former Prime Bank senior assistant vice-president), former Prime Bank deputy managing directors Nasir Uddin Ahmed and Mahbubul Alam.
Meanwhile, the ACC investigation team interrogated four officials of Jamuna Bank on Sunday. They are monitoring and vigilance division senior assistant vice president AKM Rashiduzzaman, CAD head office executive vice president Mokhlesur Rahman, RMG branch credit division senior executive vice president M Habibur Rahman and RMG branch senior assistant vice president Mojammel Haque. However, corporate division senior executive vice president Shamsul Haque Arefin did not respond to ACC’s notice.
A Bangladesh Bank inspection last year spotted Bismillah Towels, Hindul Wali Textile and Alpha Composite Towels-all concerns of the Bismillah Group – defrauding the banks of some Tk11bn between 2010 and 2012.
Bismillah Group allegedly embezzled around Tk3.92bn from Janata Bank, Tk3.06bn from Prime Bank, Tk1.63bn from Jamuna Bank, Tk1.49bn from Shahjalal Islami Bank and Tk629.7m from Premier Bank in the last three years.
Irregularities included securing cash incentives against fake export documents, taking advantage of inland bills purchases and overpricing non-existing export items.
The ACC formed a five-member probe team on February 26 to investigate the alleged embezzlement.
Khaja Soleman Anowar Chowdhury, currently residing abroad, owns Bismillah Group.